A tanker anchored south-east of Kuwait’s Mubarak Al Kabeer port experienced a large explosion on its port side, began taking on water and leaked oil into the sea, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The vessel’s master reported seeing a small craft depart the vicinity after the explosion, which happened 30 nautical miles (56km) from the Kuwaiti port.
The UKMTO stated: “There is oil in the water coming from a cargo tank, which could have some environmental impact, the vessel has taken on water, there are no fires reported and the crew are safe.”
Authorities are investigating and the British maritime security agency has advised other vessels in the area to remain alert and report unusual activity.
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the incident occurred outside its territorial waters, at least 60km from the port. The UKMTO received the initial report at 22:40 UTC on 4 March.
Separately, Reuters cited Sonangol Marine Services in reporting an incident involving the Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker Sonangol Namibe near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port.
An unidentified small boat approached the vessel at 01:20 local time on 5 March.
Sonangol Marine Services said: “The small boat approached the port side of the tanker and a short time later a loud bang was heard.”
The company reported that the crew noticed a port ballast tank was losing water, suggesting a possible breach in the hull but confirmed the vessel remains stable and afloat.
The vessel was not carrying cargo and there were no reports of pollution. The Sonangol Namibe was under contract with Iraq’s state oil marketer, SOMO, and planned to load 80,000t of Iraqi fuel, Reuters reported, citing sources in Iraq’s energy sector and shipping industry.
In another regional development, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it had struck a US tanker in the northern Gulf and claimed the ship was on fire.
Earlier in the week, debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire at the Fujairah oil trading hub in the United Arab Emirates, contributing to ongoing disruptions affecting energy facilities across the Middle East. These events follow increased instability after Operation Epic Fury, which was launched by US and Israeli forces against Iran.
As a result of this operation, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory actions targeting various locations across the Middle East.
“Tanker suffers explosion and oil leak off Kuwaiti coast” was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.
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