The government says the mystery tanker that caused a major oil spill after capsizing off Trinidad and Tobago in February has been successfully resurfaced.
The Energy Department said the operation was completed on Monday and the vessel, called the Gulfstream, will now be inspected by divers before being towed away.
The ship was found without crew on board after it ran aground and capsized southwest of Tobago. No emergency calls were made and local authorities were unable to find the person responsible.
Since then, some 50,000 barrels of oil have spilled, damaging the Caribbean island’s pristine beaches and prompting the government to declare a national emergency.
in a statementThe Department of Energy said the Gulfstream is currently floating in an overturned state at a depth of 60m (197 feet) in the sea and is secured and supported by tugboats.
A team of divers will assess the tanker and remove any hanging debris that could affect its tow to Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain.
The government has so far been unable to find anyone responsible for the incident, which occurred on the eve of the country’s Carnival celebrations.
Shortly after the spill, authorities said the tanker originated in Panama and was towed away by a tugboat. They said the plane appeared to be “bound for Guyana”.
The tugboat was never found.
About 1,000 volunteers worked alongside government workers on Tobago’s beaches during the clean-up operation.
In May, Energy Secretary Stuart Young estimated that overall losses could reach $30 million (£23 million).
In the first few weeks, the oil spill spread hundreds of miles, reaching as far as the Caribbean island of Bonaire, a Dutch municipality.
