Houthi-Hit Tanker Sounion Starts Oil Transfer In Suez To Avert A Major Environmental Catastrophe

The Greek-flagged oil tanker MV Sounion, severely damaged by a Houthi rebel attack in August, has begun transferring its cargo of over a million barrels of oil at a safe berth in the port of Suez, Egypt.

Per Egypt’s Shipping Ministry, the transfer is expected to take three to four weeks to prevent an environmental disaster that could have been similar to the historic 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The Sounion was attacked on August 21, 2024, near Yemen’s Hodeidah port, controlled by Houthi rebels.

The ship caught fire, lost power, and necessitated extensive firefighting and salvage operations. Shortly after the attack, the vessel’s 25 crew members were safely evacuated with the help of French Naval forces.

Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that they had detonated charges on the tankers’ deck, causing additional fires and structural damage that posed risks for an oil spill.

The vessel’s bridge destruction and structural damage have raised concerns about its stability.

The tanker was closely monitored by security provided by the European Union Naval Operation while it was transferred from a high-risk area off Yemen’s coast to Suez.

Salvage crews worked for weeks to extinguish the fire onboard, mainly around the tank hatches. Delta Tankers, the company managing the Sounion, dispatched another tanker, the Delta Blue, to facilitate the oil transfer.

The transfer began on October 7, 2024, and involves pumping oil from the damaged tanker to Delta Blue, which will reduce the risk of a large-scale spill.

The officials discussed the importance of close surveillance throughout the process, citing risks associated with the lack of power on the Sounion.

The tanker’s journey has raised concerns, while it was initially destined for Singapore from Iraq, the vessel somehow ended up in the Red Sea, which seems mysterious to some sources from the Greece Merchant Marine Ministry.

The journey has led to further inquiries from the European Union’s maritime safety agency.

The Houthi terrorist attacks in the region have intensified on commercial vessels in retaliation to Israel’s operations in Gaza. Although most of these vessels have no direct ties to the conflict, Houthis claim that their naval blockade targets ships associated with Israel, the U.S., and the U.K.

Since the start of the conflict in Gaza last October, the Houthis have launched over 80 missiles and drone attacks on commercial ships, sinking two and damaging many.

The U.S. and its allies have responded with airstrikes targeting Houthi strongholds in Yemen.

The oil transfer operation is averting a disaster that could have had a devastating impact on the region, with experts previously warning that a break-up or explosion on the Sounion could have resulted in an oil spill four times larger than the Exxon Valdez Incident.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska’s Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989. The oil tanker named Exxon Valdez, heading to Long Beach, California, hit Bligh Reef, about six miles west of Tatitlek, Alaska, which resulted in a massive oil spill over the next 3 days, spilling about 10 million gallons of crude oil into the water.

References: Times of Israel, bairdmaritime