Saudi coastguard rescues distressed Iranian tanker

Catogory : Market Report

AN Iranian-owned tanker laden with one million barrels of Iran crude “experienced engine failure and total loss of control” in the Red Sea, and requested Saudi coastguard help, regional news reports said.

The suezmax Happiness I was one of two National Iranian Transport Co ships that attracted attention for unusual movements from April 30 until May 2, according to vessel-tracking data.

Along with aframax tanker Sabiti, the two vessels were seen alongside each other for about 18 hours mid-voyage on April 30, off the Jeddah coast, data shows.Sabiti is now sailing for the Suez Canal after reducing speed and spending time alongside Happiness I, its most recent signal on May 1 shows. Happiness I is now tracked sailing at 3.8 knots just off Jeddah anchorage.

Sources didn’t  indicate what caused the incident but tanker tracking company TankerTrackers.com, which first alerted of the unusual movement, said it was unlikely to be an oil spill. Both vessels appear to have loaded cargoes in the Middle East Gulf in late April, with Happiness I sailing through the Strait of Hormuz on April 22 and into the Red Sea by April 29.

Sabiti followed a similar path. Another NITC ship, Stark I, returning from a trip to Turkey is also in the vicinity, after sailing into the area earlier on May 1All 61 NITC vessels are subject to US sanctions, as waivers allowing eight countries to import Iranian crude expire on May 2.