The wreck of the Russian-flagged gas carrier Arctic Metagaz continues to drift in the Mediterranean, driven by the winds and currents. Member states of the European Union, a subgroup of nine European nations, and Libya are all raising concerns over the dangers, while Russia has reportedly said it is not its problem.
The wreck has been drifting since the vessel was racked by an explosion and fire on March 3, while it was traveling south of Malta. Initial uncertainty over its location later placed the vessel in the Libyan zone of the Mediterranean. A passing vessel rescued the crew, who had evacuated the ship, and they were taken to Libya, with several suffering from severe burns.
Initially, the Libyan authorities thought the ship had sunk, but later reported it was drifting north. At least twice, it has approached Malta and alternately moved toward Italian islands in the Mediterranean. Both nations have said they were monitoring the situation and had contingency plans. Now, in the latest development, the hulk is drifting again towards the south, with Libya’s Ports and Maritime Transport Service issuing an urgent warning late on March 17.
A Maltese news outlet released pictures and video showing the vessel with large holes on each side, listing, and sitting low in the water. However, the belief is that the double hull and subdivisions in the hull for the gas systems have stopped the water ingress. Its latest reported position on Tuesday afternoon put it approximately 25 nautical miles north of the Libyan zone, 45 miles west of the Italian zone, and approximately 50 nautical miles from Malta’s zone. Malta, however, late on Tuesday posted high wind warnings for the region, predicting winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour (29 to 49 kph).
Libya, in its alert, says the ship is moving at 1 knot in a southwesterly direction. It warns of potential explosions, gas emissions, and vessel instability. It is ordering ships to remain at least 6 nautical miles from the wreck and to report any changes they see in condition, such as a fuel leak, smoke, or further deterioration in the vessel’s condition and stability. They are also calling on the National Oil Company to prepare its offshore oil platforms and prepare tugs with a 10 nautical mile perimeter around the platforms. Malta had, last week, established a 5 nautical mile safety zone around the wreck.
Speaking on Italian radio channel 24, the secretary of Italy’s Council of Ministers said the risk is enormous, warning the vessel could explode. Two of the LNG tanks, with possibly as much as 60,000 tons, are believed to be intact, but the ship is dead in the water with no control systems on the tanks. In addition, estimates are that there are as much as 700 tons of fuel and diesel oil aboard. Alfredo Mantovano called the vessel an “environmental bomb” waiting to go off.
The Prime Minister of Malta, Robert Abela, told the media on Monday that he was seeking international support, having raised the vessel as an issue in a meeting of the European Union. Malta’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ian Borg, also raised the issue with his colleagues at the EU during meetings in Brussels. They also advised both the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the situation.
Malta reports it has spoken with Russian authorities and representatives of the vessel’s operator and that it “failed to yield a permanent solution.” The Financial Times reports Russian officials have said legal provisions assign the responsibility to the coastal states. Russia has demanded an investigation into the incident, accusing Ukraine of attacking the vessel.
The Financial Times saw a letter from the nine members of the Med9 alliance of Mediterranean and Southern European states sent to the European Commission. They said the vessel is in a “precarious condition” and are calling on the Commission to coordinate swift action. The states are also linking the vessel to the shadow fleet, saying this is another demonstration of the need to crack down on those vessels.
Malta’s Prime Minister has said they have tugboats on standby beyond the resources of the Armed Forces of Malta. However, with the Arctic Metagaz remaining between states, Abela is seeking international support to find a permanent solution before there is an environmental disaster in the Mediterranean.
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