Oil Tanker Carrying Contaminated Fuel Held at Dar es Salaam Port

The oil tanker that arrived at Dar es Salaam two weeks ago with contaminated oil has still not left the port and will be restricted from sailing until the dispute is settled.



The Dar es Salaam Ports Authority (TPA) confirmed they are holding the MT Priya's Certificate of Registration and will not release it until further notice of a court order. TPA received an order from the court the vessel should not sail out of the port until the case has been resolved.



MT Priya arrived at the Kurasini Oil Jet February 22 and after unloading 14.1 million liters of contaminated jet oil imported by MGS International and Oryx, the tanker was about to leave port but was quickly apprehended by officials from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS). TBS officials announced the oil was substandard and below the specified flash point, therefore unsuitable for turbine engine aircraft and unfit for consumption.



After completing basic procedures, TBS ordered the vessel should return the cargo to its place of origin of Bahrain, UAE. The tanker was halted after a filed civil case in the High Court from MGS and Camel Oil, claiming $3,200,302 from owners and charterers of the vessel for breach of contract; and obtained a release order and submitted to the Port Authority. However, last Thursday the plaintiffs acquired an interim order restraining the tanker from leaving the port.



MGS operated mutually with the supplier and treated this as an accident, while the oil dealers insist the contamination took place after the oil had been loaded into the vessel. The plaintiffs argued that the vessel, owners and operators were responsible for the safe and pure transit of the oil to its destination, and failure to do so resulted in the multi-million dollar loss.



The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority reported the country has sufficient jet oil reserve for about a month.