The Tunisian’s Ministry of National Defence published on Thursday, 21 April 2022, a press release detailing the evolution of interventions at the sinking area of the Tanker Xelo that occurred on Saturday; 16 April 2022; in the offshore of the Gulf of Gabes in south-eastern coast of Tunisia.

The Departement of National Defence indicated that detailed photography operations of the vessel and the network of fuel pumping have been completed in view for its extraction. In addition, all the minor leaks detected during the first diving operations have been pumped and their origins were recapped.

A luminous pannel have been installed to indicate the sinking location of the Xelo tanker in order to ensure the safety of navigation. It’s also stated that an intervention plan for the pumping of the Gas Oil from the tanks was finalized in coordination with Tunisian private companies that will be in charge of the operations.

According to the same press release, the unloading operations of the gas oil from the tanks should begin in the next few days ; waiting for the improvement of the weather, winds and swell.

All these operations were conducted in full cooperation between the Tunisian Navy, the Office of Merchant Marine and the Ports (OMMP), the Tunisian private companies working in Marine field and an Italian patrol vessel, indicated by the Department of National Defence.