The World’s largest oil skimmer arrived in the Gulf of Mexico on June 30th, but it is not yet clear whether this giant cargo ship that has been retrofitted will be put into action to help with the clean up. Known as “A Whale”, the World’s largest skimmer has not yet been put into action, as according to news reports, there have been several issues including the bad weather in the gulf.
But, even as the U.S. Government continues to wait for BP to plug the leaking well that has already spewed millions of gallons of oil into the gulf, according to Floggingaces.net:
The tanker’s owner, Taiwanese shipping firm TMT Group and CEO and founder Nobu Su, ordered the tanker to be retrofitted in Portugal as a skimmer after the GOM (Gulf of Mexico) oil spill. It then immediately sailed to the Gulf, and arrived June 30th, ready for action… never waiting for a contract commitment from BP, or contacting the US regulation agencies for compliance.
“A Whale”, which measures about 4 football fields long and 1 football field wide, is waiting for final permission before it can get going with clear up efforts. Another issue is a safety one, where the gian skimmer requires about a half-mile radius all the way around to operate safely. Another concern in an environmental one–the water discharged back into the gulf, after the oil is separated from the water on board the ship, contains some traces of oil.
So, what’s the big deal if there are oil traces? Surely it beats the oil sludge and moose?
See Video of “A Whale” Below:
