MARAD invites salvage firms to recover MV Barima

What this source establishes

The document that converts the wreck question from a consultation into a procurement. MARAD, under the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, has invited expressions of interest from marine salvage contractors, with submissions due 14 August. Two things in it matter beyond the decision itself. The state describes the hull, in its own words, as carrying "forensic evidence for the ongoing Commission of Inquiry" — the first time in this corpus that it has said so. And the notice supplies physical particulars the record has lacked: the wreck's position, a depth of 13 to 15 metres, twin Caterpillar C18 engines, and a length of 38.6 metres, which does not agree with the 40.26 metres carried elsewhere here. MARAD reserves the right to cancel the process.

Key claims

• **The wreck question moves from consultation to procurement.** The Maritime Administration Department, under the **Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation**, has issued an Invitation for Expressions of Interest seeking marine salvage contractors to recover the vessel.
• **The stated purpose is evidential.** Bidders must set out a technical recovery approach protecting "forensic evidence for the ongoing Commission of Inquiry". **This is the first document in this corpus in which the state itself describes the hull as evidence for the inquiry.**
• Position and conditions given: the wreck lies at **07° 28′.213 N, 058° 23′.443 W** in **13–15 metres** of water, where "strong currents and poor visibility present significant operational challenges".
• [CONTESTED] Vessel dimensions are given as **38.6 m length, 8.9 m beam, 2.9 m depth**. The submitted statutory analysis held here gives the length as **40.26 m**, which matters because that figure carries a statutory consequence in his reading. Neither is a certificate and this archive reconciles neither.
• [CONTESTED] The depth of **13–15 metres** sits against early reporting in this corpus of three to nine metres at the capsize location. No source reconciles them.
• Machinery is given as **twin Caterpillar C18 diesel engines** — the first identification of the current machinery in this corpus, and consistent with the 2017 project description recording "installation of two engines" in a 1939 hull.
• Requirements include corporate profile and salvage history, past projects over five to ten years, environmental protection, personnel and equipment plans, an operational timeline, capacity to hold the vessel on a barge for weeks, willingness to accept **"no cure, no pay"** terms, and insurance and compliance documentation.
• Submissions: PDF, maximum ten pages excluding appendices, by close of business **Friday 14 August 2026**. MARAD retains discretion to shortlist for a detailed Request for Proposals **or to cancel the process entirely**.

This page is a research summary prepared for comment and review. It is not the article. Copyright in the original remains with Guyana Standard; the full text is held only in the private research corpus from which this archive was compiled. Follow the link above to read it at the source.