Hydrex offers underwater tanker stern tube seal repairs while afloat

HYDREX Underwater Technology, provider of turnkey underwater repair and maintenance solutions, last month dispatched the diver/technician teams to carry out underwater stern tube seal repairs on a 130 metre tanker in Rotterdam which was suffering oil leaks.

Using one of the company's flexible mobdocks, the team was able to carry out the entire operation on-site and underwater, thus saving time and money for the owners, the company said, according to London's Tanker Operator.

Each Hydrex office has a fast response centre equipped with the latest facilities, lightweight equipment and tools. These centres are designed specifically to increase speed of service, thus allowing the company to mobilise a diver/technician team to the tanker within the shortest possible time frame.

According to the company, oil was noticed leaking from the unnamed tanker's stern tube seal assembly, and diver/technicians were mobilised from the Hydrex office in Antwerp, who went to the vessel's location in Rotterdam.

The operation started with a thorough underwater inspection of the stern tube seal assembly, and following the inspection, the team removed the vessel's rope guard after it was discovered that fishing lines tangled around the liner had caused the oil leak.

These were removed and the team then installed a mobdock around the stern tube seal assembly creating a dry underwater environment for the divers to work in drydock-like conditions, a necessity for permanent stern tube seal repairs.

The split ring was then disconnected and brought to the surface to be cleaned. The team then removed the three damaged seals one by one and replaced them with new ones.