Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) has officially retained international incident response experts to secure the drifting Arctic Metagaz.
Following a massive explosion and fire on March 3, the burnt out 277 meter Russian LNG carrier is finally expected to be towed to a Libyan port.
The 77,551 dwt vessel has been a major maritime hazard in the Mediterranean for over two weeks. Initially presumed sunk after the crew was rescued and evacuated to Libya, the ship managed to stay afloat despite massive holes in its hull.
While listing and sitting low in the water, the Arctic Metagaz drifted across international boundaries, alternately approaching Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa. By late last week, prevailing southern currents and winds pushed the vessel firmly into the Libyan maritime zone, with Italian authorities estimating it would reach the Libyan shoreline within four to six days.
The drifting vessel presents a severe environmental and explosive risk. According to Italian authorities, the ship is still carrying:
- Approximately 450 metric tons of heavy oil
- 250 tons of diesel
- Up to 60,000 cbm of LNG (held in two of the four tanks believed to have survived the fire)
On March 21, the NOC acting through its subsidiary Mellitah Oil & Gas and in cooperation with its strategic partner, Italy’s Eni issued an emergency contract to manage the threat.
“Managing this environmental threat is fully achievable,” the NOC stated, emphasizing their rapid response to limit pollution and secure the vessel at a local port following coordination with relevant authorities.