NTCL barge that drifted to Russia is on its way home

A barge that broke away from its towboat nine months ago in the Beaufort Sea is now on its way home after an unscheduled journey that took it far into Russian waters.

"It's out of Russian waters and it's making it was eastwards towards Tuk," said Bill Smith of Northern Transportation Company Ltd., which owns the barge.

Smith offered few details of the rescue operation, except to say that his company worked "extensively" with the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards.

"While undesirable, I think everybody's in agreement that is has been handled well by all parties," Smith said.

The 40-metre barge was heading to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., on Oct. 20 when it broke away during an unexpected storm. Winds quickly pushed the barge west into U.S. waters.

Though unloaded, the barge was carrying about 3,500 litresof light diesel in its fuel tanks.

When it first went astray, the U.S. Coast Guard dropped a GPS locator on board. It stopped transmitting in May.

Some worried that strained relations with Russia could make it difficult to retrieve the vessel.

"If the Russians don't want to give it back, they won't give it back," said Arctic policy expert John Higginbotham in March.

For Smith, the story is over.

"We think that when the barge arrives, that should be the conclusion of the missing barge."