The grounded 1997-built tanker Siteam Anja, which ran into trouble on May 17 off Lobos Island, Uruguay, is set to be refloated by the US-based salvage company T&T Salvage, according to the Uruguay Navy.

As World Maritime News reported earlier, the 44,640 dwt ship suffered an engine cooling issue and subsequently a blackout, and started to drift to the Isla de Lobos, grounding some 8 kilometers southeast of Punta del Este.

Initial damage assessment determined that the double bottom of the tanker, loaded with more than 32,000 m3 vegetable oil, was breached allowing for a certain degree of water ingress.

The navy said that it is considering sending another tanker to the site to perform lightering operation, which would assist the salvage efforts.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Siteam Anja, owned by the Bermuda-based shipping company Team Tankers, was en route from San Lorenzo, Argentina to Rio Grande, Brazil, at the time of the incident.

Latest AIS data from Marine Traffic indicates that the tanker remains anchored in the area today as well.