Kulluk Suffered Damage to Generators, Upper Deck

A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill vessel aground off a remote Gulf of Alaska island is upright and stable but has suffered damage to generators and its upper deck.

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by Associated Press

Story Created: Jan 3, 2013 at 5:33 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jan 3, 2013 at 5:33 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE — A Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill vessel aground off a remote Gulf of Alaska island is upright and stable but has suffered damage to generators and its upper deck.

Shell incident commander Sean Churchfield says a salvage team found open hatches that allowed water to enter the Kulluk, which drilled in the Beaufort Sea during the 2012 open water season.

The Coast Guard says there’s no indication of a fuel leak.

The drilling barge ran around Monday night after it lost a line to its main towing vessel and couldn’t be controlled by a tugboat.

Churchfield says damage to the barge’s generators means salvagers may have to bring external generators on board or work without power. He says the salvage is in the assessment stage and it’s too early to tell when the vessel can be moved.

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