Giant skimmer ‘A Whale’ will get another week of tests in oil-tainted Gulf of Mexico waters

Giant skimmer gets another shot at Gulf oil spill

NEW ORLEANS — The giant Taiwanese oil skimmer known as ‘A Whale’ is getting another chance to prove its value in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bob Grantham, spokesman for TMT Shipping, said Thursday the U.S. Coast Guard has approved another week of testing for the vessel, which is 10 stories high and as long as 3 1/2 football fields.

The ship is supposed to suck up to 21 million gallons of oily water per day.

It was tested last weekend, but bad weather led to inconclusive results.

Grantham says the vessel has already made significant changes, including a new conduit system for directing oily water from the ship’s intake vents to its storage tanks.