Libya Again Warns That Wreck of Arctic Metagaz is Drifting Out of Control
Nearly two months after the Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz was ripped apart by an explosion likely caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, the wreck is still a danger to navigation and the environment with no solution in place. Libyan authorities issued a new alert that the wreck has broken free in the Mediterranean.
The Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority warns that the wreck broke its towline at midday local time on April 22. It was approximately 120 nautical miles north of Benghazi. According to the statement, the towing cable snapped due to adverse weather conditions during the operation to hold the wreck offshore. It warns that the wreck is “completely out of control and adrift.”
The wreck has broken away from the tugs several times since the operation began to hold it offshore near the edge of the Libyan EEZ and away from its offshore oil and gas operations. In the latest report, they are saying that the tugboat is currently unable to reattach the vessel due to technical issues with the tug.
The wreck drifted for weeks, at times approaching Malta and Italy before the currents and winds drove it toward Libya. It came close to shore before Libya became the operation, using a series of tugs to hold the wreck offshore. The emergency committee formed to oversee the operation had called for more powerful tugs to be part of the operation, and the offshore operators were warned to have boats on standby if the wreck approached.
Libya’s oil company had said it was working to bring in an international salvage team in partnership with Italy’s Eni. Reports have cited the difficulties in undertaking a salvage operation because of the sanctions imposed by the EU on Russian energy shipping.
Libya had explored bringing the wreck into a port, but reports said they do not have the capabilities to handle the vessel, which may have explosive quantities of natural gas still trapped in its tanks. It also has nearly 1,000 tons of fuel aboard.
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The emergency committee was calling for expediting legal action on the flag state of the vessel (Russia) as well as invoking the international conventions, especially the Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention and the MARPOL Convention. A group of Mediterranean states also called on the IMO to help organize a salvage effort. Russia has said it is not its problem, but instead the concern of the country where the wreck is located, while the Libyans have said Russia must also issue an official letter of abandonment.
The current warning is telling ships to remain at least five nautical miles from the wreck and to report any change in the status of the vessel. Despite the heavy damage from the explosion and fires and a subsequent list, the wreck has remained afloat. The water ingress appeared to have been stopped by the subdivisions and LNG tanking systems.