Tugs in drill barge response effort collide

Published 9:45 pm Wednesday, February 20, 2013

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Two tugs scheduled to tow a damaged Royal Dutch Shell PLC drill barge collided while maneuvering in a bay off Kodiak Island.

KTUU-TV reported that the collision happened Friday when the tug Corbin Foss hit the other tug, the Ocean Wave.

Drug tests were conducted on crew members but the Coast Guard did not respond to the non-injury collision.

The Kulluk ran aground Dec. 31 near Kodiak Island as it was being towed to Seattle for maintenance and broke free in a storm. It was refloated and taken to a sheltered harbor.

A Shell spokesman said in an email to The Associated Press that poor weather has delayed the Kulluk from being towed to Dutch Harbor, but plans to take it from there to Asia in dry transport remains viable.