New Diamond Fire – How it all unfolded

by Captain Chandra
Godakanda Arachchi
Member of Company of Master Mariners of Sri Lanka,
Gladstone LNG

The New Diamond––a 330-metre-long tanker ship built in Japan in 2000 with a cargo carrying capacity of nearly 300000 metric tonnes––loaded crude oil from Kuwait on 23rd September and was sailing to Paradip in India. It was due to reach the destination on 05th September. It was carrying 270,000 tonnes of crude oil (approximately 2.1 million barrels or 13.2 million litres).

The ship ran into trouble when the boiler exploded, according to media reports, around 7. 45 in the morning on 03 September. The ship was about 38 nautical miles off Sangama Kanda, when the incident occurred. The Hambantota Port Management was informed by the Navy around 8. 30 am that tugs were needed for the ship casualty emergency response. The Hambantota Port got into action immediately and arranged for the required crew, bunkers and provisions, etc. Two tugs, namely Ravana and Vasabha, left Hambantota at 2.50 pm and 4.45 pm respectively sailing towards the casualty ship. Ravana is a Fire fighting Class 1 tug, which was dispatched with minimal delay due to the urgency. Both tugs arrived at the casualty area around midnight and commenced operations (water jets) upon arrival on instructions of On Scene Commander.

Ravana and Vasabha were the first response tugs to arrive at the scene except the salvage tug nominated by the Salvors, which had arrived a little earlier and the Indian coastguard vessel. The Air Force MI-17 helicopters too began dumping water on to engine room area. There was one Indian coastguard ship which was the first on the scene, other than SL Navy vessels and three Indian Navy vessels joined in later. Two Russian Navy ships which coincidentally had departed Hambantota Port after a call also agreed to support in the initial mission but had left due to service exigencies. The Air Force helicopter as well as a surveillance aircraft were searching the area for any survivors in the water.

It appears that there was a second explosion in the afternoon on 03 Sept., when the service fuel oil tank in the engine room may have caught fire. Fire fighting operations continued until the following morning, when the fire was somewhat brought under control thanks to the combined effort of all those involved in fighting it. All crew members had been rescued except one unfortunate one who was in the engine room at the time of the initial explosion; he lost his life. Nineteen crew members were rescued by merchant ship Helen M, two by Sri Lanka Navy ship Sayura and one by Navy ship, Ranarisi.

It is believed that an Internationally reputed salvage tug company has signed necessary paperwork (Lloyd’s Open Form) with the tanker owners for the towage/salvage.

It was a well-coordinated successful effort by all parties involved from merchant ship Helen M, SL Navy, first response tugs from Hambantota International Port Group, SLPA, Air Force, Indian Coastguard, Indian Navy and Air Force and also the Russian Navy.

There will be a thorough investigation to ascertain what actually triggered the initial explosion, which consequently started the fire in the engine room. It appears that there was an interval between the two explosions.

Boilers usually use waste energy from engine exhaust gas to heat up the water at sea while in port fuel is used to run the boilers due to non-availability of much exhaust gas in port. Therefore, in case of a boiler explosion, a flash back explosion from boiler burners is unlikely, but there is the possibility of a boiler drum explosion. In this scenario, the boiler explosion could have released a huge quantity of steam after the explosion. As the water expands by 1,700 times to create steam, there could have been sufficient steam to displace air from the engine room thus temporary creating an inert atmosphere not supporting fire. However, as the time passes air tend to creep into the engine room again and when it was mixed with fuel vapour (from damaged fuel service tank) there may have been an explosive mixture. It is likely that the second explosion was due to aforesaid scenario.

There could be as much as 300 tonnes of marine diesel stored in the setting tank, the service tank and in the adjacent the diesel storage tanks on either side of engine room. It is quite possible that what was burning was aforesaid diesel. Upon burning all diesel in the engine room the fire was dying, but it was necessary to cool the adjacent steelwork and deck. etc., to prevent steel becoming brittle and failing until the fire was put off. It was interesting to note that as the ship is 20 years old, steel used back then could be different from what is used today. Therefore cooling had to go on continuously.

There were two options available––towing the ship to the destination port in India or lightering. It is almost certain cargo pumps were not being able to use as the engine room was burnt off (no steam or power). The inert gas plant––inert gas prevent forming an explosive mixture in cargo tanks––was out of action. It is learnt from the electronic media that MEPA was opposing lightering of crude oil to another tanker. There are ways to do lightering safely. As salvage and towage had been granted to an internationally reputed towing and salvage company (experts in this business), MEPA instead of opposing lightering should have together with the experts in towage and salvage company. If the ship had been towed too much seaward away from the island, effect of South West Monsoon swell might have caused more hull stresses and the steel work would have cracked and there would have been a disaster. As such working together with salvage and towage company is extremely important.

Sri Lanka has been very fortunate in this instance as the incident occurred off the East coast, where it is somewhat sheltered from South West Monsoon. Obviously, arriving from Kuwait and sailing to the East Coast of India, vessel surely would have passed West and South of Sri Lanka. It is hard to imagine the consequences in terms of pollution had the incident occurred while the ship was sailing in West of Sri Lanka. Prevailing South West Monsoon would have made the ship drift towards our coast at a faster rate and get grounded somewhere in our West coast polluting the entire coastline.

Marine Environment Protection Authority ( MEPA) should draw up an Oil Pollution National Response plan without delay, conduct drills regularly to keep all those who are to be engaged in pollution prevention fully trained at all times. The MEPA in consultation with International Maritime Organisation and Intertanko (Independent association of tanker owners) should set up stations around the country with gear to deal with marine pollution in Colombo, Galle, Hambantota and Trincomalee harbours; they should include marine spill equipment to contain such as booms as skimmers to collect, water craft needed, and shore clean up gear equipment. Such gear should be capable of quick deployment. These stations will generate employment as well for the locals. This is imperative as more than 300 ships pass South of Sri Lanka daily and many of them are tankers carrying various types of oils and chemicals.

(The Writer has nearly 25 years of operational experience in the Oil & Gas industry.)