Kochi: About 15,000 tonnes of crude oil was today removed from a tanker vessel which ran aground while entering the main channel of Cochin Port.

The oil was transferred to a smaller vessel as part of efforts to re-float MT Ratna Shalini which got stuck in mud yesterday with 80,000 tonnes of crude, sources said. After removing part of the crude in the tanker, the weight of the ship will decrease and it could be floated to the berth, they added.

There is no pollution threat as the vessel is resting on soft mud, the sources said, adding two tugs of the Port Trust are ensuring that the vessel do not move to shallower waters from its present position.

Movement of ships to the port was not affected as the vessel was not blocking the main channel, they asserted.

The tanker carrying crude oil to BPCL-Kochi Refinery drifted from the channel and ran aground apparently due to cross-currents.

The port authorities had yesterday unsuccesfully tried to pull the ship back to the channel using five tugs. The vessel is owned by India Steam Ship Company, Kolkata and chartered by BPCL.

Source : PTI