New Flame wreck removal a success in Gibraltar - TITAN removes more than 50,000 tons of scrap cargo and wreckage

(POMPANO BEACH, Fla.; Dec. 18, 2009) The view at Gibraltar's Europa Point looks much different these days. This month TITAN Salvage successfully completed removal of the New Flame and has delivered more than 50,000 tons of scrap cargo and wreckage for recycling.

From December 2007 through September 2009, a TITAN salvage team of about 20 experts continuously worked on the New Flame, a bulk carrier loaded with over 42,000 tons of scrap metal,to ensure the vessel was removed safely while ensuring environmental impact was minimal.

The project was completed this month with the completion of sub-sea work and demobilization. In all, TITAN recovered approximately 39,488 tons of scrap cargo. The total weight of the recovered wreck's structure weighed 5,914 tons bringing the total weight of wreck and cargo to 50,900 tons - inclusive of all ships' engines, machinery and related hydrocarbons and pollutants. The entire stern section of the New Flame was shipped off in one piece to a scrap company in Belgium.

The difficult operations to remove as much of the cargo and wreck as is environmentally sensible to do has been achieved. This has been an all-embracing effort from many Government departments, the Salvors, the Swedish Club and Gibraltar environmental groups. I would like to thank them all, Shipping Minister Joe Holliday told the Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper.

Another government spokesman, who spoke to the Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper, also credited TITAN's skill at managing the complex operation. Complex and hazardous salvage operations, undertaken by Titan Salvage, one of the world's leading salvage companies, have resulted in the removal of such of the cargo and wreckage as the restoration of maritime safety requires, and the interests of the environment permits, the government spokesman said.

The New Flame sank following a collision while exiting the port of Gibraltar in August 2007. The scrap metal was being transported from New York Harbor to Turkey for recycling.

The entire TITAN team - from salvors to support personnel - is extremely pleased with the final results, despite all the challenges we faced in removing the wreck of the New Flame. The success of this project is largely attributed to the close cooperation of our client - The Swedish Club and their advisors, TMC consultants. The dedication of TITAN's local agent, Mr. Jason Davis of Maritima del Estrecho and the cooperation extended by the Government of Gibraltar were invaluable in assisting our efforts. We are honored to have been part of this wreck removal operation, said Dan Schwall, managing director of TITAN Salvage.

In mid-December 2007, vessel underwriters contracted TITAN, after previous salvage and wreck removal efforts were unsuccessful. TITAN had numerous vessels on-site including Crowley's Invader-class tug Warrior, which served as the primary salvage tug on site; URS's dive support vessel Union Beaver; ITC's Shoal Buster-class tug Mistral and Crowley's 400' x 100' deck barge 408. TITAN also used their specially engineered 300-metric ton capacity linear hydraulic pullers known as TITAN Pullers and the crane barge Rambiz to lift the vessel's stern section. Additionally, TITAN utilized the TAKLIFT-VI, barges BIGFOOT-1 and GIANT-3, tugs ELSBETH III and BRAVEHEART and numerous locally operated vessels from Gibraltar.

TITAN, a wholly owned Crowley subsidiary, is a worldwide marine salvage and wreck removal 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.