Seatrade-Maritime: Drone strike hits Energos FSRU and a LNG carrier in Egypt’s Damietta port
Published by Seatrade-Maritime
In a potential geographic widening of attacks on shipping a US-owned FSRU and an LNG have been struck by drones on the Egyptian Mediterranean port of Damietta.
The Marshall Islands-flagged floating storage and regasification (FSRU) unit Energos Winter deployed in Damietta, Egypt was struck at around 14:20 hrs UTC on 29 July according to maritime security firm Vanguard. At the same time the Bermuda-flagged LNG carrier Gaslog Salem also alongside in Damietta was struck by a projectile on its starboard side.
The CSO for the Energos Winter reported that there was a fire onboard the vessel following the strike and the vessel was moved away from the terminal and all crew were accounted for and reported to be safe. Non-essential personnel were evacuated and local fire services assisted with extinguishing the fire
The Gaslog Salem was reportedly struck near the no.2 forward cargo tanks. The crew extinguished a small fire and a minor leak was reported. All 25 crew of the vessel as reported to be safe and accounted for.
Video posted on social media showed smoke billowing from the two vessels at adjacent berths in the port.
AIS tracking data from Pole Star Global shows the Gaslog Salem and Energos Winter as moving offshore from the port.
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources confirmed a response to a fire on the FSRU but did not say the Energos Winter or Gaslog Salem had been attacked.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which would represent a geographic widening of the threat to shipping and energy assets in relation to the conflict in the Middle East into the Mediterranean.
US President Donald Trump was asked in a White House press briefing about the attack on the LNG carrier in Egypt was Iran related. Trump said he’d been briefed on the incident and described it as “a little more of the same”.
The threat to shipping has expanded to the Red Sea over the last two weeks with the Houthi in Yemen’s attempt to blockade Saudi ports and strikes on ships and oil storage facilities.
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