Fugro survey vessel arrives safely to port following grounding

Fugro’s survey vessel, Fugro Mercator, has been towed to a shipyard for inspection following a grounding incident on March 22.

After the incident occurred, the 11-strong crew were evacuated and taken ashore. Fugro said at the time that a salvage operation was being prepared together with international experts and local officials.

The research vessel was performing survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration Project off the coast of Elba when it tried to find shelter from deteriorating weather conditions.

The Dutch surveyor said that the impact of the incident was minimal since there were no injuries to people and no harm to the environment.

The vessel will now be fully inspected at the shipyard. Fugro will also conduct a full review of the event to learn what caused the ship to run aground.

The company is looking to continue survey work as quickly as possible and is sending the Fugro Helmert to the Mediterranean shortly to pick up the Fugro Mercator’s project commitments, minimising the overall impact of the incident.

“The safety of our crew and the protection of the environment are our top priorities, and we are relieved that both were upheld during this challenging event,” said Erik-Jan Bijvank, Fugro group director for Europe and Africa.