After a five day delay, fuel tanker MT Torm Allegro started offloading its cargo Sunday on Cayman Brac.
The ship arrived at Cayman Brac to offload 10,000 barrels of diesel and 3,000 barrels of premium gasoline earlier this week, but was not able to deliver its cargo.
A spokesperson for OfReg, which is the regulator for the fuel sector, said on Friday there was a delay “with the ship being able to offload its fuel cargo as it is awaiting dispatch of pilots from Bodden Shipping”.
The regulator said it was continuing to monitor the situation as it developed.
A Bodden Shipping representative told the Cayman Compass on Friday that the situation was being addressed, adding that “when the weather clears and the necessary equipment is confirmed in place, the job will be completed”.
Jonathan Tibbetts, general manager at Island Energy Ltd., said he was pleased to see the arrival of the ship and its cargo.
“The off-loading started [Sunday] morning, residents’ fears can be allayed now. The fuel is being transferred to the bulk storage site at the Creek,” he said.
He explained that the ship captains are the ones to bring the vessels to the island and the pilots are responsible for placing them in the correct position for berthing or anchorage, as is the process in Grand Cayman.
Tibbetts suggested that Cayman Brac should train more Caymanians to become pilots on the bigger of the two Sister Islands.
“We have a young man training to get his captain’s license, but there definitely needs to be Brac pilots for these ships as well, so we don’t have these issues cropping up as often,” he said.
The offloading of the MT Torm Allegro tanker is expected to be completed within 48-72 hours.
Previously there were suggestions that the tanker delay issue was triggered by the Department of Environment investigation into the grounding of the Sea Elephant on Cayman Brac in July and the subsequent arrest of two of Bodden Shipping pilots.
Bodden Shipping denied that the two issues were connected.
The Sea Elephant vessel was delivering diesel fuel to the Brac when it ran aground on some “high coral heads” on the shallow seabed.
The vessel sustained some damage in the incident, and after it was repaired it left the Cayman Islands.
Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie confirmed on Friday that the grounding was still under investigation.
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