Egypt Tows Away Stranded Oil Tanker in Suez Canal
An oil tanker that suffered engine failure in Egypt's Suez Canal, briefly disrupting traffic in the vital waterway, has been towed away, the canal's authority said on Sunday. The canal authority's head, Osama Rabie, said in a statement that traffic in both directions had resumed as normal after tugboats managed to move the stranded tanker. The crude tanker, SEAVIGOUR, is a Malta-flagged vessel that was built in 2016, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data. It was heading from Russia to China, the canal authority added. Frequent traffic disruptions occur in the Suez Canal due to technical malfunctions, but stoppages are usually brief. Less than two weeks ago tugboats had to move a bulk carrier that had been stranded for several hours in the canal.
Salvage Cost of Stranded Tanker Soars
According to a report on www.businessday.co.za, bad weather could drive up the cost of salvaging the stranded oil tanker MT Phoenix to $4.5m, citing information from the South African Maritime Safety Authority. The tanker reportedly ran aground north of Durban on Tuesday. One well-placed industry source cited by the news service estimated the costs could soar even higher. Phoenix reportedly was stranded off a residential area, making the salvage job that much more challenging. (Source: www.businessday.co.za)
