Experts rush to refloat ship on Reef

Authorities will attempt to refloat the stranded bulk coal carrier on the Great
Barrier Reef on Monday night before bad weather hits the region.
The move comes as Queensland Premier Anna Bligh announced new laws to boost
penalties for ships causing oil spills.
Salvagers say the 230-metre Shen Neng 1, which ran aground on Douglas Shoal off
Rockhampton on April 3 spilling at least two tonnes of oil, has been shifting
slightly, raising hopes the vessel can be refloated.
Maritime Safety Queensland says the refloating operation was set to start at high
tide, sometime after 8.30pm (AEST), on Monday.
Preparatory efforts have involved pumping compressed air into the carrier's tanks,
to see what kind of lift that provides.
Most of the 970 tonnes of heavy fuel oil aboard the ship has already been pumped out
ahead of the attempt to refloat the carrier but there is a chance oil could leak in
the refloat.
Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk said divers had not
inspected the physical damage underneath the vessel but naval architects who
inspected the inside believed it had enough stability and strength to survive a
refloat.
Following the refloat, authorities would inspect the vessel to ensure there were no
structural failures or further oil leaks before it was tugged to safe waters
northwest of Keppel Island.
But, Mr Quirk said, there were "no guarantees".
Extra tugs will be sent to help if the carrier remains stranded when the weather
turns late on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately the vessel will probably suffer more damage during that process and
there's increased risk of oil leaking from the vessel in those circumstances," Mr
Quirk said.
Ms Bligh told reporters in Brisbane she would introduce to state parliament this
week new laws imposing penalties of up to $10 million for ships spilling oil.
She said the maximum penalty for corporations would increase by five times from
$1.75 million, while individuals would face a $500,000 fine - up from $350,000.
The penalties would apply also when oil spills in commonwealth waters drifted into
state waters and washed up on the state's coastline, and would be equal to the
toughest penalties in the country, Ms Bligh said.
"This increase in penalties will send a message to the thousands of ship crews who
pass through Queensland waters that nothing but the greatest attention to safety and
care will be tolerated," she said.
The fines would be imposed on top of the cost of cleaning up any spill.