Seattle skimmers just the order for mopping up Gulf spill

by Media Services on 1 Jul 2010 The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has created a critical need for boats that can aid the cleanup. It's brought a rush of new orders to Kvichak Marine Industries, building 30-foot skimmers that can operate in 15 feet of water or less.

The impact of the nation's worst oil spill has stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the shores of Puget Sound. Two skimmers are already on their way to the Gulf. Seattle-based Kvichak has orders for 28 more boats, in a deal that may be worth about US$10 million. But the company has clearly stated, that while it is certainly a windfall and they are proud to help, 'it's a sad way to get business'.

This is the first time the company has built boats during an oil spill. During such emergencies it usually just gets orders for more of the belts and pads its boats use to collect oil, because contractors run through their supplies quickly.

'Normally you don't do it,' said Keith Whittemore, president. '[But] this damn thing keeps spewing oil.'

The BP spill is unique in that it's been leaking for more than two months. The sheer scope of the cleanup effort is now beyond the capability of the 68 or so shallow-water skimmer boats that emergency-response company ES&H has working the spill, said Donald Nalty, ES&H's chief operating officer.

Kvichak's 30-foot Rapid Response Oil Skimmer has performed well enough to be the 'vessel of choice' in the Gulf cleanup, Nalty said.

Around 2,000 skimmers, from 200-foot barges to the 30-foot shallow-water boats made by Kvichak, are working the spill. The 30 skimmers from Kvichak will boost the size of ES&H's fleet by about 50 percent. A crew of four — one operator and three technicians — operates the Kvichak skimmers in 15 feet of water or less, primarily working inland in marshes and bayous.

The skimmers average between 250 and 500 barrels of oil daily, but in optimal conditions can pick up 1,000 barrels of oil a day, said Nalty, who's from Metairie, La., just outside New Orleans.

'A thousand barrels, that's when you're in a good slug of oil,' Nalty said.

When oil first seeps out into the ocean, it's fairly clean and easy to clean up. But as it stays in the water, rolling around the waves, it picks up bits of garbage and seaweed, becoming gloppy and hard to handle and looking a lot like chocolate mousse, Whittemore said.

Skimmers use a specially designed absorbent belt on a conveyorlike structure that dips down under the bow into the water and sucks in water and oil. Oil is picked by the belt material, which can range from coarse rubber mesh to plush-looking foam, and gets scraped off into a sump inside the boat.

The belt passes through a squeeze-roller to remove the remaining water then continues on to pick up more oil. This specialized system is adaptable to a variety of marine spill scenarios and is able to recover a very wide range of spills, from light sheens to thick weathered oils contaminated with debris. The all-aluminum skimmer is easily trailerable, powered by twin 60-70hp outboards and capable of a response speed of over 17 knots.

'They're one of the most productive skimmers we have on the spill right now,' Nalty said. The skimmer picks up at least 80 percent of the oil, he said.

The skimmers cost between $300,000 and $400,000 each, meaning the 30 boats could bring about US$10 million in sales.

Mechanics, welders, fabricators, electricians and painters are working around the clock in Kvichak's shop along the Lake Washington Ship Canal to keep up with orders and to get the skimmers to the Gulf as quickly as possible.
Kvichak has 120 employees at the facility.

Founded in 1981, Kvichak builds aluminum boats for a variety of customers: patrol boats for the Coast Guard, pilot boats for the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, even hovercrafts. But with the pressing demand, Kvichak aims to churn out three boats a week.