The Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz is drifting “alarmingly” in the Mediterranean Sea after a failed attempt to be towed off the coast of Libya, Le Monde reports.
The tanker carrying liquefied natural gas was seriously damaged in an explosion on March 3 and has been out of control since then. Libyan maritime authorities describe the ship's condition as “out of control”. It has “a huge hole in the waterline” and poses a threat to shipping, the publication said.
With the risk of the ship, which was carrying approximately 60,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG), sinking, the Libyan National Oil Corporation sent a tugboat to intercept it. However, the operation failed when the cable between the tugboat Maridive 701 and the tanker broke. Libyan authorities explained that this happened “due to extreme weather conditions, with wind gusts of up to 40-50 knots and waves up to five meters high“.
As a result, the vessel is once again drifting in international waters, and passing ships have been advised to move at least 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) away.
According to experts, the tanker may now be approaching Malta. They warn of a continuing risk of explosion.
“Two tanks have exploded, but two more remain, each with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters - if they are full, which we do not know”, the source told the publication.
According to him, the gas will gradually heat up and evaporate, a process that could take about 1,000 days. There is a significant risk of explosion, so the vessel must be towed and anchored in a remote area, he added.
The attack on the Russian gas tanker was carried out by a Magura V5 drone, manufactured in Ukraine. It was launched from a base near Melita. There were 30 crew members on board the Arctic Metagaz, all Russian citizens. The crew, including the captain, spent nearly 15 hours at sea awaiting rescue. All 30 people returned to Russia.
President Vladimir Putin called the attack on the LNG tanker a "terrorist attack". He noted that it only exacerbated the situation on energy markets, especially in Europe. On March 26, Russia's Investigative Committee announced that it had opened an investigation into the attack under international terrorism.