More than 20 tankers trapped in Suez Canal Eva cargo ship rescue operation may still take several days

Since March 23, the cargo ship "Changzhi" (English name: "EVER GIVEN") from Taiwan's Eva Group has run aground on the Suez Canal, causing two-way traffic jams on the Suez Canal, while more cargo ships are still gathering in that direction. As the ship is a super-large freighter, the progress of the rescue operation is slow. Local officials said the rescue could take another two days to a week.

Shipping sources said that hundreds of ships carrying various kinds of goods, such as oil or consumer goods, have been delayed, including more than 20 oil tankers. If the river is blocked for more than 24 hours, the freighter may have to divert to Africa, which means the sailing time will be extended by a week.

Dozens of oil tankers have been affected

So far, rescue work is under way. According to foreign media reports, the 400m-long, 224000-ton freighter lost its driving ability in strong winds and sandstorms and ran aground on the morning of the 23rd local time.

As of 06:30 EDT, the ship's technical manager, Bernhard Schulte (Bernhard Schulte), said the ship was still running aground and work was under way to get it afloat again. At present, the dredger is cleaning the sand and mud around the hull to make the ship float again, and tugs and winches are trying to move the ship.

Bernhard Schulte (Bernhard Schulte) added that there were no casualties among the 25 crew members on board and no damage to the cargo. At present, the preliminary investigation has ruled out the cause of engine failure or mechanical failure.

The Suez Canal is one of the most important throat roads in the world and the fastest sea passage between Asia and Europe. The passage accounts for about 30% of global container ship traffic every day.

Leth Agencies, a ship transport service provider on the Suez Canal, says there are 150 ships trapped at either end of the canal, 71 of which are trying to head north, while the other 79, between Lake Dagu and Port said, are waiting to head south.

Kpler, a shipping intelligence company, said more than 20 tankers carrying crude oil and oil products had been affected by the disruption of the canal. In addition, as of Wednesday local time, seven LNG carriers were trapped. These delays could have a knock-on impact on international crude oil and natural gas prices.

The next 24 hours are crucial.

A senior official at the Suez Canal Authority said it could take several days to get the large container ship floating again.

"if the method is not correct, it may take a week, and if the method is correct, it may only take two days," the official said. But if the rescue method had been correct, the crisis could have ended yesterday. "

The official also revealed that due to the damage to the hull, the Changzhi is unlikely to continue its voyage and may need to be towed to the nearest berth, the Great bitter Lake District, about 30 kilometers to the north.

Nick Sloan (Nick Sloane), the captain of the rescue ship who has participated in hundreds of ship and aircraft salvage operations, believes that the high tide on Sunday and Monday will increase the depth of the water by 18 inches (46 centimeters), which may be the most promising time to get the ship floating again.

Shipping industry sources say that if the delay is too long, ships may choose to bypass Africa, meaning the voyage could be extended by a week.

Chris Evans (Chris Evans), an international supply chain expert at Collier International (Colliers), said: "the next 24 hours will be a critical time to determine the long-term impact. If there is a major delay, then bypassing the Cape of good Hope is likely to be another way to move forward. "

In recent months, as the novel coronavirus epidemic has been gradually brought under control, demand for retail consumer goods and crude oil has rebounded, leading to a busier global container routes and an increasing shortage of supplies. The accident on the Suez Canal further bottlenecked logistics at this time.

Greg Nolle (Greg Knowler) of IHS Markit's Business Magazine said: "the Asian-European supply chain has reached its limits and the Suez Canal blockage occurred at a particularly bad time."