Libya to Secure Drifting Hulk of Russian Gas Carrier and Bring It to Port

wreck of Arctic Metagaz LNG carrier — Arctic Metagaz has remained afloat, drifting with large amounts of fuel and LNG aboard (NOC)

Libya’s National Oil Company reports it has retained international experts specialized in incident response to address the drifting hulk of the gas carrier Arctic Metagaz. They expect the burnt-out vessel to be towed to one of the Libyan ports.

The hulk of the vessel has been drifting in the Mediterranean since it was racked by a massive explosion and subsequent fire that consumed most of the 277-meter (909-foot) LNG carrier (77,551 dwt) on March 3. The crew was rescued and taken to Libya, but the vessel remained a problem as it drifted back and forth and crossed international boundaries.

The Libyan authorities initially thought the vessel had sunk, but despite massive holes on both sides of the hull, the ship remained afloat. The belief was that the double hull and interior partitions for the gas containment system had stopped the water ingress. The ship is low in the water and listing but has remained afloat for more than two weeks. At times it approached Malta and, alternately, the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa.

Italian authorities warned the ship was a time bomb ready to explode, and they had joined with other nations calling for the European Union to organize a response while the ship remained in international waters. Late in the week, prevailing southern currents and the winds, however, began pushing the vessel toward Libya, and predictions said the vessel was likely to continue on that path. Italian authorities on Friday said the vessel was in the Libyan zone in the Mediterranean and reported it could reach Libya’s shoreline in four to six days.

The Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority had warned the National Oil Corporation of the danger. It recommended preparing the offshore oil platforms and putting tugs on standby in case the hulk came within 10 nautical miles of the platforms. They also instructed vessels to remain at least 6 nautical miles from the drifting ship and to report any changes in condition that they observed.

The Italian authorities are reporting the ship has approximately 450 metric tons of heavy oil and 250 tons of diesel aboard. They are saying the amount of LNG is “uncertain,” but two of the four tanks are thought to have survived loaded with as much as 60,000 cbm of LNG.

The National Oil Corporation said it had retained international experts through its subsidiary Mellitah Oil & Gas and in cooperation with its strategic partner, Italy’s Eni. They said on March 21 that an emergency contract was issued with the intent to tow the wreck to one of the Libyan ports following coordination with the relevant authorities.

“Managing this environmental threat is fully achievable,” reported NOC in its announcement of the contract. They said they were moving quickly to limit the damage and the risk of pollution.

Russia continues to call for an investigation after accusing Ukrainian forces of attacking the ship with a drone. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility. Malta had been in contact with the Russians and representatives of the vessel’s operator without a clear course of action. Russia had said under international law the wreck was abandoned and the responsibility of the state where it was located.