BW Group tanker suffers explosion and fire off Saudi Red Sea port
BW Group has confirmed that a Hafnia LR1 product tanker has suffered an explosion and fire at the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah.
The Singapore shipowner said the 76,580-dwt BW Rhine (built 2008) had been hit from an “external source” whilst discharging early on Monday morning.
The master is said to have immediately ceased all discharge operations and enacted emergency procedures onboard.
“The crew have extinguished the fire with assistance from the shore fire brigade and tug boats, and all 22 seafarers have been accounted for with no injuries,” BW Group said.
Hull damage is said to have occurred at water ballast
tank five and cargo tank four on the port side.
“It is possible that some oil has escaped from the vessel,
but this has not been confirmed and instrumentation currently
indicates that oil levels on board are at the same level
as before the incident,” BW Group said.
“Cooling procedures and inerting of cargo spaces has been
initiated to avoid a reignition of the fire. Ship stability
is being assessed before proceeding with any further operations.”
BW Group said Hafnia had activated its shore-based emergency
response team and that all relevant authorities have been
advised of the incident.
This is the second incident in which a tanker has suffered
an explosion in Saudi waters in less than a month.
Waterborne improvised explosive device
The Al Shuqaiq terminal was the scene of an explosion aboard
the George Economou 107,000-dwt tanker Agrari (built 2009)
on 23 November 2021.
An investigation into the incident involving the Maltese-flagged
TMS Tankers vessels is still underway, but UK security consultancy
Dryad Global said reports suggested the vessel was struck
by a Houthi launched waterborne improvised explosive device
(IED).
“Attempts at targeting vessels and ports via such methods
are reported with relative frequency with previous reporting
indicating that Saudi forces interdicted and destroyed an
attempted waterborne IED targeting the Saudi port of Jizan
on the 13 November,” said Dryad.
Additional incidents have involved vessels being struck
by drifting sea-mines with Saudi naval forces having reportedly
destroyed Houthi and Iranian mines on the 14 and 24 November,
respectively.
Ther Dryad said incidents within the Red Sea have previously
occurred however remain uncommon and these have typically
involved the targeting of the Saudi flagged vessels in transit
by Houthi Rebels in the vicinity of the Hanish islands.
Previous incidents within the Red Sea have also involved
the targeting of the Iranian flagged 159,700-dwt suezmax
Sabiti (built 1999) in 2019 offshore Jeddah.
Dryad said that while details surrounding this latest incident remained unclear, the presence of Houthi rebels offshore and 300 nautical miles (555 km) north of their usual area of operations would represent a “fundamental shift in both targeting capabilities and intent”.
“If the incident is determined to be the result of malicious
intent, it remains unlikely that such an incident was perpetuated
by Houthi rebels targeting vessels off Jeddah with a methodology
similar to that seen offshore Al Shuqaiq and Jizan,” Dryad
said.
“If indeed the vessel has been targeted by an explosive
device it remains a realistic possibility that the vessel
was targeted via the presence of limpet mines, similar to
that seen deployed by Iranian forces within the Gulf of
Oman in 2019.”
We have also been reports of another unnamed Greek aframax being damaged by a sea mine at the same Rudum terminal on 3 October.
For further information, please contact:
Ralph Juhl
EVP, Technical
Tel: +65 9172 3595
Email: [email protected]
Zachary Mahon
Head of Communications
Tel: +65 9647 3605
Email: [email protected]