Astrolabe Reef update

Astrolabe Reef has been relatively quiet this weekend with the absence of Smit Borneo. Scheduled maintenance has apparently turned out to be major repairs to the barge's roller fairleads, which lead the anchor wires out to the mooring spread.

With an ETA at Astrolabe Reef not expected before the coming weekend, the Salvors have been cutting up containers in situ and then heli-salvaging the remnants to the barge Pohonui for haulage back to Tauranga.

The McDermott helicopter transferring what remains of an MSC 40 foot container to Pohonui

The AM is guessing that the Salvors are getting down to the dregs now and wonders what the decision-making process is to assess the 'cost to benefit' equation of flying off small pieces of scrap metal from a big piece of scrap metal?

AM