A major milestone has been reached in the salvage operation for the MSC Baltic container ship, six months after it ran aground near Lark Harbour.

Officials on site confirm that crews have now removed all of the bulk heavy fuel oil from inside the vessel, and it has been moved up to the deck of the ship.

T&T Salvage, the international company hired by MSC, has been pumping fuel daily, removing a total of roughly 1,300 cubic meters of heavy oil.

The last of the fuel had to be heated for three days to between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius before it could be pumped out. While the removal of the bulk oil marks a significant step forward, officials caution that extensive work remains. The heavy fuel represents about 70 per cent of all fuel on board.

Hydraulic oil, lube oil, and fuel in the boiler room still need to be removed.

Progress is also being made on the ship’s cargo. Of the 472 containers on the 207-meter-long vessel, 255 have been removed, leaving 217 on board.

The salvage is facing challenges with some containers, including a shipment of lentils, which have filled with water and are now too heavy for the crane to lift.

The complex operation is being monitored by several agencies, including Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The focus will now shift to removing the remaining oils and tackling the challenge of the water-logged containers.