Tanker Wreck off Libyan Shore: Energy Ministry Confirms Non-Cargo of Kazakhstan Petroleum
The Greek-owned tanker, the Vilamoura, carrying one million barrels of oil, exploded off the coast of Libya after a journey from Zeytina. According to various reports and vessel-tracking data, the tanker loaded oil of Kazakh origin at the Russian port of Ust-Luga in early April and also called at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk, which mainly handles Kazakh oil.
Although there have been some media reports suggesting the presence of Kazakh oil onboard the Vilamoura, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy has denied such claims. However, independent vessel-tracking data and port loading records indicate otherwise. The data shows that the oil was indeed loaded from terminals primarily handling Kazakh oil.
The incident resulted in the tanker's engine room being flooded, but no injuries were reported. Despite the explosion, it's important to note that it did not lead to an oil spill. Following the incident, the tanker was towed to Greece.
However, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan has denied the presence of Kazakh oil on board the sunken tanker off the coast of North Africa. The exact cause of the explosion on the Vilamoura remains undetermined.
[1] Bloomberg. (2022). Greek-Owned Tanker Carrying Kazakh Oil Explodes Off Libya. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-03/greek-owned-tanker-carrying-kazakh-oil-explodes-off-libya
[2] VesselFinder. (2022). Vilamoura. [online] Available at: https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/AIS/ShipDetails/IMO/9351456
[3] TankerTrackers.com. (2022). Tanker Trackers. [online] Available at: https://tankertrackers.com/tankers/IMO/9351456/Vilamoura
- The origin of the oil on the Vilamoura, as shown by vessel-tracking data and port loading records, is Kazakh, according to independent sources, despite Kazakhstan's denial.
- Despite the incident and the explosion that occurred off the coast of Libya, the weather conditions did not lead to an oil spill, a fortunate occurrence in the context of sports played near the coast.
