SMIT Salvage together with its partner Fratelli Neri have made good progress yesterday in the further preparations for the oil removal from the Costa Concordia. The Divers have inspected the forward section of the submerged underwatership of the ship and have marked the drilling locations of the heavy fuel oil tanks.

Yesterday morning, the inflating of the oil barrier boom was initiated and in the course afternoon, the first booms were being installed. These oil booms will serve as a second inner protection barrier around the ship. An outer boom and a boom along the shoreline were previously already installed.

Before the pumping of oil can commence, SMIT Salvage divers will need to place hot tap valves on the outer hull of the vessel and drill holes through the hull into the oil tanks. As soon as pumping commences, company will provide details accompanied with an animation of the hot tap process.