Sonangol stated on Monday that the Marlin Luanda, a vessel struck by a missile in the Red Sea region, does not belong to them and was not in service for the Angolan oil company.
In a press release, the state-owned oil company refutes information circulating on social media and websites, claiming that the vessel was in their service, transporting fuel to Luanda.
The Angolan state oil company emphasizes that the Marlin Luanda is not part of their fleet of owned or chartered ships, and is not under their responsibility, contrary to what “certain sources” are asserting.
In the same statement, Sonangol takes the opportunity to clarify that, due to the dangers associated with navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the company has implemented preventive measures to avoid any incidents involving its fleet or vessels in its service. As a result, none of its assets are currently near the affected region.
The Ship Belongs to Trafigura
In another statement released by the global leader in commodity trading, Trafigura confirms that the Marlin Luanda, a petroleum product tanker, is part of its fleet.
Apparently, the vessel was hit by a missile in the Gulf of Aden while traversing the Red Sea, carrying naphtha, and is currently continuing its route with Asia as the destination for the cargo. The incident caused a fire in a cargo tank on the starboard side of the ship.
According to the statement, the crew, supported by military vessels, successfully extinguished the fire and is now entirely safe. The assistance provided by the Indian, American, and French navies was crucial to the achieved results. However, the “high technical and professional capacity” demonstrated by the ship’s captain and crew in handling this unfortunate incident was crucial in controlling the fire under truly challenging circumstances.
