Vessels Head Home After Alaska Fuel Delivery

Published January 23, 2012 1:27AM (EST)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Russian tanker that brought fuel to an iced-in Alaska town is heading back to open water — once it gets through miles of sea ice.

Coast Guard spokesman Adam De Rocher says its icebreaker, Healy, and tanker Renda were about 100 miles south of Nome on Sunday. He says they left the town on Alaska's western coast on Friday.

The icebreaker led the Renda to Nome by cutting a path through Bering Sea ice, allowing the delivery of 1.3 million gallons of fuel. Nome would have run out by spring after a November storm prevented its last pre-winter fuel delivery.

Once the Renda hits open water, it will head for Russia. The Healy will go to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to drop off supplies before heading home to in Seattle.


By Salon Staff

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