Costa Concordia 'will be refloated and removed whole' Islanders have expressed concerns that their picturesque, tiny port, will become a working shipyard for the entire summer, deterring yachtsmen, divers, snorkellers and tourists. By that time it is hoped that a Dutch company, Smit, will have been able to extract the 500,000 gallons of diesel and heavy oil in the liner's fuel tanks. The salvage operation is expected to take up to 10 months, meaning that the ship will spend at least a year wedged on rocks in clear sight of Giglio's port and main settlement. "This timeline represents the best possible outcome in a situation of this kind, although it cannot be excluded that there will be delays given the complexity of the operation," Genoa-based Costa Cruises said in a statement. The Costa Concordia's 4,200 passengers and crew had to be evacuated after it rammed into a rocky shoal and grounded on Giglio's shore on the night of Jan 13. The death toll so far is 17, but 15 other people are still missing and presumed to be dead, either trapped inside the hull or in the open sea. The ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, 52, is under house arrest at his home near Naples and faces charges of abandoning ship as well as multiple counts of manslaughter. He denies the allegations.