DIVERS has found and is trying to remove “pockets of oil trapped under the hull” which may still be leaking into the sea from the sunken vessel off the coast of Gibraltar, the Gibraltar government has said.

The Rock authorities believe that removing the oil could “further reduce the occurrence of floating oil”, which is already much less than last week.

“Over the past few days, only minimal amounts of shine have escaped the boom, and with work underway, even this minimal impact will be further reduced,” the government said in a statement.

Harbor tugs repaired booms surrounding the vessel and on local beaches which successfully prevented the oil from spreading further.

The latest report came after Port Captain John Ghio briefed the recovery coordination group on Tuesday.

It follows the collision of the OS 35 at the end of August which forced the bulk carrier to run aground 700m from the Baie des Catalans.

Cleanup crews continued to focus on Seven Sisters Beach which bore the brunt of last week’s oil spill.

Gibraltar Joinery and Building Services (GJBS) workers advised by the Department of the Environment and Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) have been clearing the remote beach of oil since the weekend.

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