Working Conditions Aboard the Elsa-Essberger

The unmanned gas platform 'Unocal Q1', which suffered significant damage following an accident involving the tanker 'Elsa Essberger' on December 31, 2017, near Den Helder, is poised for dismantling. The removal operation will take place approximately 20 nautical miles offshore, led by GeoSea, a subsidiary of DEME, under the direction of operator Petrogas E&P Netherlands. The recently delivered liftship 'Apollo' (IMO: 9769764) has been commissioned to execute the dismantling of the platform, which has been left with two of its four legs bent due to the tanker collision.

The tanker vessel 'Elsa Essberger', which had been undergoing repair work at Søby Værft A/S since January 23, has successfully completed its repairs and set sail once again. The ship departed from the Danish shipyard on March 20 at 4:15 PM and made its way to Rotterdam, arriving on March 23, before continuing its journey to Teesport on March 25. Following its recent collision, the vessel’s crew faced legal complications; both the captain and first officer have been under scrutiny since the incident. Due to regulations prohibiting navigation within 500 meters of Q1-operated facilities, they were arrested and interrogated post-accident. The legal case is set to be heard in an Amsterdam court on April 20. For further details, you can view the full Danish report accompanied by imagery at: http://www.soefart.dk/article/view/593218/kollision_med_olierig_gav_opgave_til_soby_vaerft.

On January 12, the 'Elsa Essberger' is scheduled to discharge slops at ATM, preparing the vessel for an important phase in its maintenance. Following the discharge, the ship will undergo gas-free preparations ahead of its journey to Ship Repair Rotterdam, where it will be serviced to ensure it meets seaworthiness standards. After receiving the necessary approvals from relevant authorities, the vessel is set to dock at Søby Værft A/S for essential repairs, with docking expected to take place on January 23 at 8 a.m. For those interested in visuals, photos of this operation can be found at these links: [link1](http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2795610#) and [link2](http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2797339#).