AP reported that Australian salvage crews were preparing for the delicate task of pumping nearly 1,000 tonnes of heavy engine oil off of a coal carrier that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef.

Mr Anna Bligh premier of Queensland State said that the operation could begin by the afternoon, after a boom is put around the stricken Shen Neng 1 to contain oil already leaking from the hull. While every effort is being made to ensure no more oil leaks from the vessel, contingency plans are in place in case oil reaches pristine beaches on the mainland. The oil must be removed before any attempt can be made to move the vessel, which is stuck on a sandbank.

Mr Bligh said that the Chinese ship crashed full speed into Douglas Shoal, a protected part of the reef recently. One side of the ship has been shredded by coral, rupturing a fuel tank. 3 tonnes to 4 tonnes of oil that already leaked from the bulk carrier have been dispersed by chemicals sprayed on the water to break up the oil. It has not yet been decided whether to offload some 72,000 tonnes of coal aboard the vessel. He said that if it is possible to refloat the ship with the coal on board, that's how it will be managed.

Maritime Safety Queensland said that there is still a risk the ship could break up while it remains stuck on the shoal and is hoping good weather conditions continue to allow the oil transfer. Australian Transport Safety Bureau inspectors are onboard the ship to interview crew members about how it ran aground in a restricted area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The world's largest coral reef is listed as a World Heritage site because of its gleaming waters and environmental value as home to thousands of marine species. The bulk carrier was taking coal to China from the Queensland port of Gladstone when it slammed into the shoals off Queensland's coast in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

(Sourced from Associated Press)