alert for deserted methane tanker, environmental danger | EUROtoday

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Libyan authorities have issued a maritime warning and raised the alert stage after detecting the strategy of the drifting deserted Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, elevating issues a few potential menace to safety and the atmosphere.

The ship for the transportation of liquefied pure fuel with a capability of round 62,000 tonnes – plus the danger of gas on board – had already alarmed Italy, when it approached Lampedusa, then Malta, and is now heading in direction of Libya, “completely abandoned, without crew on board, and presents a serious structural imbalance and total loss of navigation control”.

Libya has issued a navigation warning for all ships working within the space between latitudes 34°00 and 35°30 north, with an invite to train most warning.

The discover strictly prohibits any vessel from approaching the tanker at a distance lower than six nautical miles. Authorities burdened that the deserted ship poses severe dangers, together with the potential of a sudden explosion, fuel leak or structural failure resulting from its instability.

As a precautionary measure, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) has acquired directions to position offshore platforms, significantly within the Bouri and Al-Jurf fields, on excessive alert.