Russian LNG tanker drifts off Libya after tow line snaps

A damaged Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has drifted out of control off the Libyan coast after a tow line snapped during an operation to move the vessel, DPA reported on April 23. 

The incident raises fresh concerns over maritime safety and a possible environmental incident in the eastern Mediterranean.

Libya’s ports and maritime transport authority said the Arctic Metagaz broke free on April 22 evening around 120 nautical miles north of Benghazi. The vessel is now drifting freely after the towing tug failed to reconnect, reportedly because of technical difficulties.

The authority warned that the tanker still contains liquefied natural gas and fuel, thereby increasing navigational and environmental risks in the area. It called on all vessels operating off the Libyan coast to exercise extreme caution and maintain a safety distance of at least five nautical miles from the tanker’s location, while immediately reporting any visible change in its condition, including smoke, gas leakage or further damage.

The latest incident comes only weeks after Libyan authorities said they had regained control of the same tanker following an earlier loss of manoeuvrability in rough weather.

The 277-metre vessel has been at the centre of mounting concern since early March, when it was disabled while sailing from the Russian port of Murmansk to Port Said in Egypt. Its continued loss of control is likely to heighten alarm over the risks posed by a large gas carrier drifting near busy shipping routes and sensitive coastal waters.