Sonangol Tanker Hit by Explosion Near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair Port; Crew Safe and Vessel Stable
An oil tanker linked to Sonangol, named Sonangol Namibe, was damaged by an explosion last week while anchored near the Iraqi port of Khor al Zubair Port, according to a source from the Angolan state oil company.
The vessel, which sails under the Bahamas flag, sustained material damage to its hull after one of its ballast tanks was struck.
The tank did not contain oil because the tanker had not yet begun loading operations, the source told Lusa News Agency.
In a statement, Sonangol said the ship was operating under the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool, a joint venture between Sonangol and Swedish shipping company Stena Bulk.
Preliminary reports indicate that an explosion occurred in the deck area while the tanker was waiting to begin cargo loading.
“The entire crew is safe, and there are no reports of injuries. The ship remains stable and under operational control,” Sonangol Trading & Shipping said in the statement.
The company added that standard safety procedures were immediately activated, and further technical inspections are being conducted in coordination with local maritime authorities and technical specialists.
International media reports indicated that the tanker was approached by a small unidentified vessel at around 1:20 a.m. local time, shortly before a loud explosion was heard.
The tanker had been contracted by State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), Iraq’s state oil marketing company, and was scheduled to load about 80,000 metric tons of Iraqi fuel at the terminal, according to an Iraqi source and a maritime agent.
Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Thursday that it had struck a U.S. tanker in the northern Gulf, claiming the vessel was on fire. It remains unclear whether that claim is connected to the incident involving the Sonangol linked tanker.
