Fire Contained, Most Jet Fuel Intact on Stena Immaculate
The majority of the jet fuel aboard the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate remains secure despite a collision with a container ship off the British coast, the tanker's owner, Stena Bulk, reported on Wednesday. Only two of the vessel’s 18 fuel tanks have leaked.
The incident occurred on Monday when the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong struck the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military. British authorities have since arrested the captain of the Solong on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
The fire that had engulfed the Stena Immaculate has now been extinguished, according to Stena Bulk's Chief Executive Erik Hanell. “We will have a much clearer picture in the next 24-48 hours regarding the entire salvage operation,” Hanell told Reuters. The tanker remains anchored and under close monitoring by representatives from Stena Bulk, government authorities, and executives from U.S. logistics firm Crowley, which manages the vessel. Hanell confirmed that two of the tanker’s fuel tanks had leaked, accounting for approximately 10% of its cargo.
“The total volume of jet fuel onboard is around 50,000 cubic meters, so I estimate the maximum potential leakage at roughly that amount—hopefully less,” he said.
All 23 American crew members of the Stena Immaculate are safe and in good health, according to Hanell.
Meanwhile, the German company Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong, confirmed that the container ship’s captain is Russian. The rest of the 14-member crew includes Russian and Filipino nationals. One crew member remains missing and is presumed dead.
Hanell stated that the fire aboard the Solong appeared to be "somewhat under control" but added that the full details of the incident remain under investigation.
While circumstances around the incident unfold, this event shines bright the spotlight of the fragility of the U.S. military supply chain and the need to rebuild the fleet of ships to transport U.S. military products and equipment globally.
Stena Bulk, headquartered in Gothenburg, operates a fleet of around 18 crude oil tankers and 40 oil product and chemical tankers. The company also manages two additional tankers under the U.S. Tanker Security Program (TSP), which provides fuel transport for the U.S. Department of Defense.
With only 10 vessels in the TSP fleet, the loss of the Stena Immaculate from active service is likely to cause logistical challenges for the U.S. military, shipping industry sources noted.
However, Hanell said discussions on potential backup options for the TSP have not yet taken place.
"Commercial challenges will be addressed in the next week or so," he added.
The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the biggest seafarers' union, urged all the jurisdictions involved to cooperate to understand how the incident happened.
"There are crucial questions that remain unanswered in the wake of this tragedy, and these must be addressed through a full and transparent internationally coordinated investigations," ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton said in a statement.
(Reuters + staff)
