India’s Directorate General of Shipping reports that efforts to remove the fuel from the wreck of the MSC Elsa 3 are being delayed due to peak monsoon conditions and a change in salvage teams. The wreck appears to be stable, but they are anxious to remove the fuel to prevent a potential environmental disaster with the wreck just 18 nautical miles from shore.

The authorities had previously expressed frustration with the slow progress at the wreck site demanding a plan and setting deadlines for MSC Mediterranean Shipping and T&T Salvage. They had anticipated that the pumping of the fuel from the tanks would be underway by the beginning of July at the latest. The wreck is believed to have approximately 85 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) aboard.

The first phase of the diving effort was successful in capping the tanks and stopping oil leaks. However, from daily patrols and monitoring efforts, the Directorate General is reporting a “light rainbow sheen” near the site. It measures approximately 1 kilometer by 50 meters, but they believe the oil is dissipating naturally in the environment.

The current oil leaks are residual contaminants the authorities stated. They believe it is coming from enclosed areas such as…