Tripodi said yeterday the situation confronting port corporations and the salvage team remains serious.

“The Pasha Bulker is currently standing up well to the weather and heavy seas off the coast,” Tripodi said.

“Following extensive discussions with the salvage team and Newcastle Port Corporation however, I’m advised there remains risk of an oil spill during both the preparation for and the refloating attempt from Nobbys Beach.

“This is not a routine exercise – refloating a 40,000-tonne bulk carrier is a difficult task, made more complex by the breach in the vessel. This is an exceptional situation requiring extensive planning and preparation.

“Newcastle Port Corporation is prepared for the realistic chance that despite the detailed planning and best efforts of the salvage team to transfer fuel to higher and safer compartments in the ship, some residue oil could remain in the tanks,” he said.

Newcastle Port Corporation CEO Gary Webb said personnel from more than 20 agencies are preparing equipment necessary for any response.

“Incident control and oil spill teams are already on stand-by and remain on full alert to respond immediately should there be an oil spill of any nature,” Webb said.

“Any potential oil spill response will be three-pronged – a combination of contaminant recovery, the possible use of dispersants and a shoreline clean-up.

“The oil spill response vessel Shirley Smith is presently in Newcastle, where it will remain on call.

“Additionally, two salvage tugs, Woona and Keera, are currently in port to assist with salvage efforts and a third tug from Cairns, the anchor-handling vessel Pacific Responder, arrived in Newcastle today.

“Contingency plans have also been developed to deal with a situation of oil entering the Hunter River or being deposited on Stockton Beach.

“Oil response and salvage equipment gathered from across the country has been moved to the forward-staging area, ready to be deployed if an incident occurs,” Webb said.

The response equipment includes:

Five different types of boom, totalling more than 4000m;

Mechanical skimmers;

Flexi-dams for oil storage;

Towable storage bags;

Dispersants; and

Associated pumps and equipment.

Computer modelling has also been carried out to prepare various spill-drift patterns as part of the contingency planning.

Air surveillance has not observed any oil around the Pasha Bulker to date.

Tripodi said the Pasha Bulker refloating attempt remains on target for the end of the month.

Newcastle Port Corporation has also put into force a Waterside Exclusion Zone in the area surrounding the Pasha Bulker.

The exclusion zone extends 1000 metres south-east to sea from the Cowrie Hole at Newcastle and 870 metres south-east to sea from the end of the Southern Breakwater.

“All vessels and persons, unless authorised, must remain outside the zone. The perimeter of the zone will be identified by flashing lights on buoys and will be patrolled by authorities,” Webb said.