Stellar Banner was a Marshallese very large ore carrier (VLOC) managed by the South Korean company Polaris Shipping. Constructed in 2016,[1] she suffered significant damage in a grounding incident in 2020 and was scuttled.[1]
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MV Stellar Banner |
| Owner | VP-12 Shipping, Inc.[1] |
| Operator | Polaris Shipping Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea[1] |
| Port of registry |  Marshall Islands[1] |
| Builder | Hyundai Heavy Industries Group,[1] South Korea |
| Launched | 2016 |
| Identification | IMO number 9726803[1] |
| Fate | |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Very large ore carrier |
| Tonnage | 151,596 grt[1] |
| Propulsion | Motor vessel |
Loss
Stellar Banner departed Ponta da Madeira, Brazil, on 24 February 2020 with a cargo of 294,871 tonnes (290,214 long tons; 325,040 short tons) of iron ore.[1] Her captain decided to deviate from his planned route during Stellar Banner′s outbound transit of Baía de São Marcos and pass within 1 nautical mile (1.9 km; 1.2 mi) of a 20-metre (66 ft) shoal in an area in which the nautical charts aboard Stellar Banner provided only limited hydrographic information.[1] Her hull struck bottom[1] and she suffered hull damage[2] which caused many voids and water ballast tanks to begin to flood.[1]
Stellar Banner anchored, and her crew assessed the damage and tried to control the flooding with fixed and portable pumps.[1] After several hours, the crew determined that sea water was flooding the ship more quickly than the pumps could pump it out.[1] The captain then moved Stellar Banner to shallower water and intentionally ran her aground about 100 kilometres (54 nmi; 62 mi) off São Luís, Brazil, on the morning of 25 February 2020 to prevent her from sinking.[1][2] She took on a heavy list to starboard after grounding.[2] Her crew of 20 was evacuated safely.[2]
In March 2020, a salvage effort began in which salvors first removed 3,500 tonnes (3,445 long tons; 3,858 short tons) — about {[convert|3,900|m3}} — of fuel oil and 140 tonnes (138 long tons; 154 short tons) of diesel fuel from the ship, a process which took about a month and was completed on 12 April 2020.[1][2] Shortly afterward, the lightering of the ship’s cargo of iron ore began.[1][2] Sources differ on the amount of iron ore removed, one stating that by 27 May 2020, salvors had lightered about 145,000 tonnes (143,000 long tons; 160,000 short tons) of iron ore,[1] and another that 140,000 tonnes (140,000 long tons; 150,000 short tons) had been removed when lightering concluded on 2 June 2020.[2] According to the Brazilian Navy, lightering and other measures reduced Stellar Banner′s list from 25 to 13 degrees.[2]
Stellar Banner was refloated on 3 June 2020[2] and immediately was towed to deeper water and anchored.[1] There her ship classification society, assisted by commercial divers and a remotely operated underwater vehicle team, conducted a damage survey which determined that she was a constructive total loss.[1]
Polaris Shipping proposed scuttling Stellar Banner in deep water as a means of disposing of her and her remaining cargo and, after concluding that the cargo remaining aboard posed no threat to the environment, the Brazilian Navy approved the scuttling plan.[2][3] After the removal of all oil and oily residue left aboard her, Stellar Banner was scuttled with about 145,000 to 150,000 tonnes (143,000 to 148,000 long tons; 160,000 to 165,000 short tons) of iron ore still aboard on 12 June 2020 in more than 2,700 meters (8,900 ft) of water in the South Atlantic Ocean about 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) off Maranhão, Brazil, at a point 55 to 60 nautical miles (102 to 111 km; 63 to 69 mi) northeast of the entrance to the Baía de São Marcos approach channel.[1][2] She took 20 minutes to sink.[citation needed] Her funnel detached from her superstructure and resurfaced for approximately a minute before also sinking.[citation needed] The anchor handling tug supply vessel Bear, the multi-purpose supply vessel (a type of platform supply vessel) Normand Installer, a Brazilian Navy patrol vessel, and an oil spill response vessel stood by as she was scuttled.[2]
Investigation
On 26 October 2021, the Maritime Administrator of the Marshall Islands published a casualty investigation report on the loss of Stellar Banner. The report concluded that the most significant cause of the accident was the ship's deviation from her planned route when transiting the Baía de São Marcos, and pointed also to deficiencies in on-board management and in the information available on nautical charts.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Stellar Banner grounding occurred after deviation from planned route". insurancemarinenews.com. Insurance Marine News. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Polaris VLOC Stellar Banner to be Scuttled". maritime-executive.com. The Maritime Executive. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Stellar Banner declared as constructive total loss". Lloyd's List.