Jia Yong, formerly MV Shen Neng 1 (simplified Chinese: 深能一号; traditional Chinese: 深能一號; pinyin: shén néng yī hào)[4] was a Chinese bulk carrier built in 1993 as Bestore. She was sold in 2007 and renamed Shen Neng 1. In 2010, she ran aground off Great Keppel Island in Queensland, Australia, spilling oil into Great Barrier Reef waters. She was repaired and returned to service, where she operated until being scrapped in 2017.

MV Shen Neng 1 aground on the Great Barrier Reef and oil spill, April 2010
History
Name
  • Jia Yong
  • Shen Neng 1 (2007–2012)
  • Bestore (1993–2007)
Owner
  • Scinicariello Ship Management (1993–2007)
  • Shenzhen Energy (2007–present)
Port of registry
BuilderSanoyas Hishino Meisho
Launched24 February 1993
Identification
FateScrapped 2017
Notes[1][2][3]
General characteristics
Tonnage
Length
  • 225 m (738 ft) overall
  • 217 m (712 ft) between perpendiculars
Beam32.66 m (107 ft 2 in)
Height41.68 m (136 ft 9 in)
Draught13.29 m (43 ft 7 in)
Installed powerSulzer 2SA 6RTA62 diesel engine
Propulsion1 x screw propeller
Speed13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Crew23
Notes[2][3]

Construction

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She was built as Bestore by Sanoyas Hishino Meisho in 1993 at 225 m (738 ft) long overall, with a beam of 32.66 metres (107 ft 2 in) and a draught of 13.29 metres (43 ft 7 in). Her air draught was 41.68 m (136.7 ft). The ship was powered by a 2-stroke Single Action 6-cylinder Sulzer 6RTA62 diesel engine driving a single screw propeller. The engine could propel her at 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph).[5]

History

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Bestore was owned by Scinicariello Ship Management, Italy. She was sold for US$34 million in 2007,[6] and was renamed as Shen Neng 1, meaning "Shenzhen Energy" in Chinese, when sold to Shenzhen Energy in 2007. Her callsign was BXAN. She was allocated IMO number 9040871,[1] and the MMSI 413461550.[7] The ship was owned by Shenzhen Energy Transportation Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Shenzhen Energy, whose logo appeared on her funnel. She was managed by TOSCO‐KEYMAX International Ship Management Co. Ltd , a Sino-Japanese joint venture, and carried a crew of 23.[8]

Great Barrier Reef grounding

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Shen Neng 1 aground on the Great Barrier Reef

On 3 April 2010, while transiting from Gladstone, Queensland, to China carrying a cargo of 65,000 tonnes of coal, Shen Neng 1 ran aground 70 kilometres (38 nmi) off Great Keppel Island, Australia, at geographic coordinates 23°06′06″S 151°38′57″E / 23.10167°S 151.64917°E / -23.10167; 151.64917 (2010 Shen Neng 1 Great Barrier Reef oil spill).[9] At the time of the grounding, Shen Neng 1 was reported to have been travelling at full speed. She was severely damaged on her port side, and a 3 kilometres (1.6 nmi) long oil slick was later reported to have been seen.[8] The ship's engine and rudder were damaged in the grounding.[10] The ship went aground 5.8 nmi (10.7 km; 6.7 mi) outside the shipping lane.[11] It is in a restricted area which forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO.[9]

As a result of the grounding, the fuel tanks of the vessel were punctured, allowing fuel oil to leak from the vessel. It was feared that the ship might break in two.[9] 2,000 litres of the chemical dispersant Corexit 9527 was applied to the oil slick.[12]

A salvage contract was awarded to Svitzer, led by Jan Polderman SVITZER Salvage B.V. and Drew Shannon of SVITZER Salvage Australia, who co-ordinated the salvage response. Salvage engineers from Australia and marine surveyors assisted stabilise the vessel, coordinate resources and provide expert advice to salvage masters acting at the time.[10] Shen Neng 1 was refloated on 12 April 2010, after forecasts of bad weather meant that the salvage operation was brought forward. There were reports that large areas of the coral reef were damaged by the ship.[13] On 14 April, the captain and officer on watch at the time of the accident were arrested. They were charged and appeared in court on 15 April.[14]

Investigation

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Two investigations have been opened into the grounding. The investigations are being conducted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).[10] Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said that the Government would be investigating why the ship was so far off route.[9] It was reported that the ship's owner could be fined $1,000,000 and Shen Neng 1's captain $220,000.[8]

The ATSB despatched three investigators to Gladstone, Queensland, on 4 April to collect evidence and conduct interviews. On 6 April they boarded the ship to interview the crew members and collect further evidence. The preliminary phase of the investigation was scheduled to take 28 days. A casualty co-ordinator from the AMSA boarded the ship. Three vessels were reported as giving assistance at the scene.[15] The preliminary investigation has found fatigue as the major contributor to the grounding. Prior to the grounding, there were no checks to ensure fatigue was minimised by the governing authorities (AMSA).[16] A news story claimed that the ship was attempting to take a shortcut when it ran aground.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "SHIPS INDEX". E-ships. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Advanced Masterdata for the Vessel Jia Yong". VesselTracker. 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Jia YongVessel Details and Current Position". Marine Traffic. 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  4. ^ E.g., a report of Radio Australia: 澳抢险人员设法减少深能一号燃油泄漏 (in Chinese)
  5. ^ "Shen Neng 1 (Ex: Bestore), 70,181 DWT, Bulk Carrier, Built 1993". Tradewinds. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  6. ^ "S & P Monthly Report, December 2006" (PDF). Cotzias. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Vessel information SHEN NENG 1 from China China". Digital Seas. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  8. ^ a b c Owens, Jared (5 April 2010). "Leaking ship's owners face $1m fine". The Australian. Retrieved 4 April 2010. [dead link]
  9. ^ a b c d "Great Barrier Reef oil disaster fear from stricken ship". BBC News Online. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
  10. ^ a b c "Stranded ship 'time bomb' to Great Barrier Reef". Alert Net (Reuters). 5 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Grounding of the Ship Shen Neng 1" (PDF). Australian Maritime Safety Authority. 6 April 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  12. ^ Townsend, Jo (2013-08-23). "Crude solution". 60 Minutes. Archived from the original on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2014-12-06.
  13. ^ Bryant, Nick (13 April 2010). "China ship 'seriously damaged' Great Barrier Reef". BBC News, Sydney. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  14. ^ "Australia arrests Chinese crewmen over reef ship". New Straits Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  15. ^ "ATSB investigates bulk carrier grounding". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Archived from the original on 11 April 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  16. ^ "Marine Safety Investigation Report - Preliminary". Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  17. ^ "Ancient species discovered in Barrier Reef depths". AFP. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
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