Around 750 tonnes of oil from a grounded Lomar Shipping containership have been extracted and the focus has now shifted to the removal of containers that could take several months.

The London-based company said two helicopters were used to transport oil, in tanks, onto a nearby barge, in a process lasting 15 days.

Lomar’s 2,194-teu Kea Trader (built 2017) grounded off New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean a month ago.