Wellard Rural Exports has advised that its vessel, the MV Ocean Drover, has resumed its journey to the Aqaba Gulf after a main engine malfunction was rectified by the vessel’s on-board engineers.

In a media release issued last night the company said the ship’s Master had stopped the vessel for 72 hours to give the engineers sufficient time to assess and rectify the problem and test the repair.

"Importantly, the provision of feed, water and ventilation to the 42,000 sheep and 6,000 cattle on board the vessel were unaffected by the mechanical issues due to the redundancy provisions built into the ship to protect and enhance animal welfare," the company statement said.

"The vessel continues to experience calm seas, low humidity and daytime temperatures of 27C, well below the 35-40C the livestock experienced in their paddocks before being transferred to the vessel.

"Wellard notified both the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Department of Agriculture so they are aware of the mechanical issue and their rectification by the Company."