As a new, mile-long sheen of diesel fuel drifted away from the disabled tugboat Pathfinder on Friday, salvage crews worked into the night to get fuel transferred from two tanks slashed open when the vessel ran aground on notorious Bligh Reef on Wednesday night.
The sheen was the second time that diesel fuel from the damaged tug had entered uncontrolled into the resource-rich Prince William Sound environment.
The first sheen was discovered Thursday morning, the day after the vessel ran aground and then limped to shelter in a cove on the south side of Busby Island, near the reef.
The new sheen was discovered inside a containment boom just after crews began transferring fuel from the tug's two damaged tanks to a rescue vessel about 12:30 a.m. Friday. The transfer was immediately stopped as workers scrambled to figure out why the fuel was lost and how to prevent another spill.
Overflights after daylight found the diesel sheen had escaped the containment boom and was moving to the southeast in a trail about a mile long and 50 feet wide, according to spokesmen for a command team made up of state environmental officials, the Coast Guard and the boat's owner, Crowley Maritime Services. A half-dozen fishing boats equipped with boom and absorbents tried to recover as much as possible.
Lightering resumed about 4 p.m. Friday. Workers expected the transfer to continue past midnight, but conditions were favorable and they improved their estimate. Work on the tank with the most fuel was completed by 7 p.m., said Crowley spokesman Jim Butler.
Once the fuel from the Pathfinder settles into tanks on the Valdez Star, the salvage team will have a good idea of how much was lost.
Weather cooperated with the transfer. Butler said winds in the bay where the tug is anchored were running from zero to five knots, with calm seas.
When the fuel has been removed from the damaged tanks, salvage crews will begin to move her to a safer harbor, possibly Valdez, according to Butler and Gary Folley, the incident coordinator with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
"The most important thing really is to get the fuel lightered from the damaged tanks," Folley said. "After that ... we'll be working with the salvors on a plan to get the thing out of there. We need to be very careful in formulating that plan and towing it back in."
Once the Pathfinder is under tow, escort vessels will follow and be in position to respond in case more sheen appears.
The Pathfinder's misfortune produced both irony and outrage. Bligh Reef is the same charted rock where the tanker Exxon Valdez grounded in 1989, spilling an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound and causing the nation's worst oil spill. The Pathfinder had been scouting for ice in shipping lanes between Valdez and Hinchinbrook Entrance when it, too, hit Bligh Reef at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation, though alcohol use among the Pathfinder's six-member crew has been ruled out.
Gov. Sean Parnell and U.S. Sen. Mark Begich issued statements decrying the spill. Parnell described himself as "indignant," especially in light of three recent North Slope spills, and said he had called officials at BP Exploration and Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. "to express ... deep concern."
"The spills harm both Alaska's environment and Alaska's reputation for responsible resource development," Parnell said. "I let the companies know this was not acceptable."
"I'm troubled that a spill response vessel, which is mandated by federal law to help ensure safe passage of oil tankers through Prince William Sound, managed to run aground on one of the most well-marked and well-known reefs in the northern hemisphere," Begich said. "At a time when Alaskans are advocating for new oil and gas development, especially in the waters off our coasts, we must demand a higher level of operational competence."
It was unclear how much fuel spilled from the tug. Three of the Pathfinder's nine tanks were damaged, but only two had fuel in them at the time - one containing about 10,000 gallons and the other, 23,500.
Divers examined the hull Thursday and found a 4- to 5-foot section of the keel was ripped open.
Efforts to corral and recover the spilled diesel started immediately, both at the scene of the grounding and early Friday morning at Busby.
Diesel is toxic, but dissipates fairly quickly, much more so than heavier products like crude oil, Butler said.
"It tends to evaporate more quickly and is affected more by any churning in the water," he said. "It tends to break down more quickly than bunker or crude oil."
Still, he said, "we have made aggressive efforts to recover" as much as possible, using absorbent sweeps and pads.
The Pathfinder's main engine is inoperable, and the vessel will need help getting anywhere once the diesel fuel is transferred.
"What's going on now is in addition to lightering, Crowley and their salvage consultant, Titan Marine, are preparing a towing plan," Butler said. "That will begin as soon as we get permission to move the vessel, perhaps as soon as (Saturday). Once they get the fuel off, they'll be able to gauge her stability."
The vessel can be towed only during daylight hours, he said. It could take about five hours to make the 17-mile trip to the Valdez port, depending on weather and other variables.
Crowley, based in Seattle, is a marine services contractor for Alyeska Pipeline, which operates the trans-Alaska pipeline for its oil company owners.
The National Weather Service was predicting snow and rain for Valdez and surrounding areas Friday night and today, with east winds from 15 to 25 mph this morning and becoming lighter in the afternoon. Contact reporter Don Hunter at dhunter@adn.com or 257-4349.
By DON HUNTER
dhunter@adn.com