A Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker, the Vilamoura, suffered an explosion on June 27 while en route from Libya’s Zuetina port to Gibraltar, the vessel operator TMS revealed in a statement on Monday.
The vessel, carrying approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil, experienced a blast in its engine room the statement said.
Fortunately, no personnel were injured, and there have been no reports of oil spills or pollution.
The tanker is currently being towed to Greece, with an estimated arrival date of July 2.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear.
However, speculation suggests it might be linked to a pattern of mysterious explosions on tankers that have previously visited Russian ports.
The Vilamoura had picked up crude from Kazakhstan at Russian oil ports in April and May.
This incident follows similar unexplained explosions on other tankers that had recently called at Russian oil ports.
As a precaution, tanker owners and operators have begun inspecting vessel hulls for potential mines.
Damage assessment will be conducted upon the Vilamoura’s arrival in Greece.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.