Houthi-Hit Tanker Successfully Unloads 150,000 Tons Of Crude Oil After 3 Months Of Attack

After months of uncertainty, the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion has successfully unloaded its cargo of 150,000 tons of crude oil. The Sounion tanker was damaged by the Houthi attack in August which left the tanker severely damaged and raised serious fears of a massive oil spill.

The MV Sounion was attacked on August 21, 2024, by Houthi rebels while it was travelling in the Red Sea near Yemen. The attack left the tanker on fire and without power, creating a dangerous situation.

Experts had warned that if the tanker had broken up or exploded, it could have caused an environmental disaster larger than the infamous Exxon Valdez spill in 1989.

The salvage operation began soon after the attack, with the crew of the Sounion evacuated safely. The Greek tanker company, Delta Tankers, sent another ship, the Delta Blue, to help transfer the oil.

Sounion: Ολοκληρώθηκε η μεταφόρτωση πετρελαίου στο τάνκερ “Delta Blue” #naftemporiki https://t.co/6c3uJG4gAP

— naftemporiki.gr (@naftemporikigr) December 4, 2024

Image Credits: naftemporiki.gr/X

Due to the severe damage caused by the Houthi attack, including explosions that set off multiple fires, the operation was incredibly complicated and dangerous.

Egyptian authorities and Greek officials worked together to create a plan to safely unload the oil. The transfer process started on October 7, after a team of specialists worked to extinguish the fires and stabilise the ship.

The Sounion had no power after the attack, which meant the crew had to rely on portable pumps to get the oil out.

The operation was made more difficult by the fact that the ship had been burning for weeks. The fire had caused major structural damage to the tanker, including the destruction of its engine room and control systems.

Despite these challenges, the team was able to transfer the oil to the Delta Blue tanker, which took the crude oil to safety.

The transfer took place at the Suez Anchorage, south of the Suez Canal, and involved close monitoring to make sure everything went smoothly.

With the oil now safely offloaded, the immediate threat of a disastrous oil spill has been avoided. Officials estimate the entire operation took about three to four weeks to complete.

The Houthis have claimed responsibility for several attacks on commercial vessels since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying that they are targeting ships linked to the U.S. and the U.K.

Though the Sounion had no direct connection to the conflict, it became one of the latest victims of this growing threat.

Experts had warned that if the tanker had broken apart, the spill could have been catastrophic. It could have been up to four times larger than the Exxon Valdez disaster, which spilt about 10 million gallons of oil into the waters of Alaska in 1989.

Reference: ekathimerini

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