TITAN Salvage Monitoring Shipwreck for Pollution in Remote Bear Island in the Arctic

June 19, 2009

(Pompano Beach, Fla.; June 19, 2009) — TITAN Salvage has been contracted by the owners of the refrigerated cargo ship Petrozavodsk to to provide environmental protection and other services for the 1,287 TDWT vessel, which ran aground on the southern tip of Bjornoya (Bear Island) in May.

Bear Island is a remote location between Norway and Spitzbergen within the Arctic Circle. The crew of 12 was rescued earlier from the stricken vessel by helicopter, and the ship is now aground under precipitous cliffs which pose a threat due to falling rocks.

TITAN’s contracted tug — Havservice 1 — is currently on scene monitoring the vessel with personnel and equipment ready to respond to any pollution emanating from the wreck. As the winter ice completes it’s retreat on the cliff tops, the amount of falling rocks will lessen, enabling a TITAN team to commence full pollution control measures aboard the ship.

Bear Island is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island is located in the western part of the Barents Sea, approximately halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape. Despite some commercial activities in past centuries, the island today is uninhabited except for personnel working at the island’s meteorological station Herwighamna.

TITAN, a wholly owned Crowley subsidiary, is a worldwide salvage company based in Pompano Beach, Fla., that has performed over 350 salvage and wreck removal projects since 1980, including some of the most technically demanding projects ever undertaken. The company also has offices and equipment depots in Newhaven, UK and Singapore. Titan responds to vessel emergencies around the world and is able to mobilize a worldwide network of expert salvage professionals and specialized, portable equipment within hours of activation. TITAN is accessible 24 hours a day through the company’s main dispatch telephone number, +1-954-545-4143. Additional information about TITAN may be found at www.titansalvage.com.

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