Oil rig expected to leave by Tuesday
The oil rig parked between Wied iż-Żurrieq and Filfla is expected to leave Maltese territorial waters by Tuesday, according to a spokesman for Transport Malta.
An official of Northern Offshore, the rig's owners, confirmed it would be leaving but did not say where it was to be taken.
But the rig's future location is hardly what people of the area care about. What they do know is that the view of Filfla from Wied iż-Żurrieq will finally be free of the rig in time for the peak tourist season, when hundreds of tourists and locals go on boat trips to the Blue Grotto, swim and scuba dive in the pristine waters.
Energy Exerter, the Liberian-flagged oil rig, was laid up last August, much to the consternation of Qrendi and Żurrieq residents.
The oil rig is cold-stacked, meaning it is undergoing maintenance and repairs, and not actually operating. It came to Malta after having operated in Greece.
The Ħamrija Bank, where the rig is parked, is listed as being about 50 metres deep. However, in specifications provided by Northern Offshore on its website, the rig can actually operate in "water depths of up to 91.5 metres".
When questioned about why the rig was not moved to deeper waters nearby given its capacity for such depths, Transport Malta justified its decision to place it in that spot by saying "the site has the ideal depth in terms of safety and is also ideal for carrying out required repairs, maintenance and surveys".
The scanning and selection process for the rig's parking spot took about two weeks. Pressed on the fact that the rig could have been parked at a different spot with less impact on the view, Transport Malta said "the position chosen was considered as ideal as per criteria mentioned above".
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Joe Zammit
Jun 13th 2010, 12:23
Angela: Why do we have to park such an eyesore in such a place where it hinders the view of the ONLY isle we have. In fact I have nothing against the Slimizi but I don't think it's a coincidence that all unwanted eyesores are all laid down in the south. In fact I hear a lot of complaints from tourists who come on that side of the island.
G. Cutajar
Jun 13th 2010, 06:05
Ballun tar-rugby fin-nofs jonqsu dar-ritratt!!
Antoine Grima
Jun 13th 2010, 02:04
Were to now ? Dwejra for a year or 2 ? Shame on who ever is in charge
Angela Attard
Jun 12th 2010, 19:46
Joe Zammit: Why Sliema or St Julian's? I'm from Sliema, yet I still disagree with the rig spoiling the view at Wied iz-Zurrieq. But obviously, either you must bear some malice towards us Slimisti or you're the kind of person who does not care as long as the harm being done is not in your own back yard.
Albert Bezzina
Jun 12th 2010, 16:27
Hurray!
Joe Zammit
Jun 12th 2010, 15:45
Is it possible that there wasn't anywhere else to park such an eyesore,..... maybe on the other side of Malta such as Sliema or St' Julians?
R Farrugia
Jun 12th 2010, 15:02
besides ruining the picturesque view, last summer was the only time that I recall in my life where the sea in Wied iz-Zurrieq was covered with foam/bubbles and not fit to swim. Is this a coincidence??
G.Portelli
Jun 12th 2010, 16:55
I think you rarely go to swim at Wied iz-Zurrieq as at least for the past 25 years we encountered these bubbles especially in Southerly wind conditions.
clinton magro
Jun 12th 2010, 14:38
kulhad igerger habba kollox... ax ma tarawx kem halla flus min Awissu sa nar it tlieta ? u x jista isir bihom ? jin nkun djm emek ... ghas sajjieda gid ghamel kemm dam ghawnekk u ssa li gej is sajf u ha jzid it turizmu se jitlaq u l gvern dahhal flus.... ghalija kulhadd gawda min punt jew ihor.... igerger min jara l hazin biss
martin saliba
Jun 12th 2010, 18:55
Ghandek xi haga blu fghajnek. nehija qabel ma taghmik.
clinton magro
Jun 12th 2010, 19:32
ghax ma tidx li taghmel kif taghmel taqlaha sihbi ax djm isib min igerger. waddab kollox fuq mizien mbad tkelem :). u tkelem b fatti ghax hawn Mlata maghrufin kem nafu nparlaw.
martin saliba
Jun 12th 2010, 13:35
My wife and i went there last sunday and it is a real eyesore. How could anyone in authority allow an oil rig tgo anchor where this one is ? The goverment should be ashamed and its members are not worthy of calling themsseves maltese citizens for allowing tourisim sabotage of this kind. Surley they could have left it somewhere else.
J. Schembri
Jun 12th 2010, 12:32
How much bad publicity did we get with this Blue Grotto view? Doesn't Transport Malta care about tourism?
Doesn't MEPA have a say about the environmental impact in this area especially with the light emitted by this eyesore?
I would say it should have never been there in the first place .
SeanC Grech
Jun 12th 2010, 12:13
free parking?
R. Borg Ellul Vincenti
Jun 12th 2010, 12:29
Pass GO and collect 200
Its all about the $$$
Mark Bishop
Jun 12th 2010, 12:52
Now that.my friend, is a very good question to ask.
Eugenio Cutajar
Jun 12th 2010, 12:07
At long last the people who frequent these breathtaking places will get rid of this dreadful sight. I urge Transport Malta not to repeat this mistake in the future.