Seatrade Maritime: Tanker struck off Kuwait, spilling oil

In an apparent widening of Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf a tanker anchored 30nm southeast of Mubarak Al Kabeer in Kuwait has been hit with a large explosion.

“The Master of a tanker at anchor, reports witnessing and hearing a large explosion on the port side then seeing a small craft leave the vicinity,” UKMTO said in an alert. According to maritime security firm Vanguard Tech the vessel involved is the Suezmax tanker Sonangol Namibe.

Oil the water was reported from the cargo tank “so there could be some environmental impact”. No fires were reported and the crew are said to be safe and well.

The port of Mubarak Al Kabeer is located in the upper Arabian Gulf and around 750 – 800 km from the Strait of Hormuz. An attack on a tanker at anchor in the port would represent significant widening of Iran’s strikes on shipping in the region which focused on the Strait of Hormuz, which it claims to have blocked, Bahrain, and the Gulf of Oman.

The latest attack adds to five others reported in the region in the last 24 hours.

As Seatrade Maritime News reported the first container ship to be hit in the conflict was the Safeen Prestige 2nm off Oman transiting eastbound and struck above the waterline causing a fire in the engine room forcing the crew to abound ship.

A second container ship the MSC Grace reported witnessing a splash from an unknown projectile close to the vessel while about 20nm west of Dubai. No damage was reported.

There were two incidents of Fujairah. The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Gold Oak 7nm east of Fujairah, UAE reported being struck by an unknown projectile that damaged steel plating.

While the Marshall Islands-flagged VLCC Libra Trader 10nm east of Fujairah was reported to have sustained minor damage to its funnel after a loud blast and debris of a projectile was found on deck.

The bulk carrier Pelagia 137 nm east of Muscat, Oman reported a loud explosion close to the vessel. The ship and the crew are safe.