The National Oil Corporation of Libya has moved to protect its coastline after a damaged Russian tanker entered its waters.in collaboration with the Italian energy group ENI

A specialist international firm has been called upon by Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) to manage the threat posed by a damaged Russian liquefied natural gas tanker that is drifting towards the Libyan coast. The contract was awarded to the firm by NOC subsidiary Mellitah Oil & Gas in collaboration with the Italian energy company Eni. It covers incidents involving tankers, offshore platforms and other vessels that could pollute the Mediterranean Sea.

In a statement, NOC officials said: "Swift action is necessary to neutralise environmental threats within Libyan territorial waters and safeguard the coastline from pollution risks." They added that all Libyan oil installations, including platforms, terminals and ports, remain secure and are not at risk of pollution from the incident.

Attacked by a Ukrainian naval drone.

The Russian methane tanker Arctic Metagaz (IMO 9243148, MMSI 273262840) In early March, the vessel was damaged by a suspected Ukrainian drone. Since then, it has been sailing unmanned and has gradually been pushed towards Libyan waters by winds and currents. Its cargo of liquefied natural gas poses a high risk of environmental damage in the event of a leak or collision. Some European countries have already described the situation as posing an "imminent and serious" threat to the Mediterranean ecosystem. The tanker was carrying LNG at the time, raising

Adrift in the Mediterranean

.It is adrift in the Mediterranean and is considered to pose an environmental threat to the North African coast.According to the NOC itself, a contract has been signed with an international company specialising in offshore incident management.

The stated objective is twofold

The stated objective  according to the Libyan Authority is twofold: firstly, to contain the environmental risk, and secondly, to tow the vessel safely to a Libyan port. The Libyan authorities have confirmed that the country's oil infrastructure, including platforms and terminals, is not currently at risk of direct pollution. The case of the Arctic Metagaz also highlights critical issues surrounding the management of vessels involved in parallel energy networks, which are often characterised by substandard safety standards.

The situation remains manageable

Notably, on Monday 4 March, the vessel exploded in the central Mediterranean. Aerial photos show a large hole in its hull. The explosion occurred around 150 nautical miles southeast of Malta. The vessel has now entered Libyan waters and is being pushed closer to the shore by wind and sea currents. According to the authorities, the situation remains manageable. Plans are in place to tow the vessel to a designated Libyan port in coordination with the country's Ports Authority.

Related :The Russian Metagaz LNG carrier, Arctic, approaches Malta- Details

Arctic Metagaz is part of Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet'

Notably, the Arctic Metagaz is part of Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet', which is used to transport Russian energy exports in a way that circumvents Western sanctions. The "shadow fleet", a term used to describe a group of vessels used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions, has recently become the subject of increased international concern. This concern is due to a number of factors, including the geopolitical implications of the war in Ukraine and the security of energy routes. As the LNG carrier approached territorial waters, the NOC activated an emergency operations centre in collaboration with the relevant national authorities to coordinate operations The NOC chairman Masoud Suleman is overseeing operations at the emergency operations centre, which is working in coordination with the relevant national authorities. Further updates are expected as the towing and containment operations commence.

Source : Agencies 

#Arctic Metagaz #shadow fleet #Masoud Suleman #Mediterranean #ENI #Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) #European countries # risk of pollution Russian Tanker # Libyan waters