Omani Coast News

Boarders have left a tanker that maritime sources had said was seized off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and the vessel is safe, Britain's maritime trade agency reported on Wednesday.Three maritime security forces had told Reuters on Tuesday that the asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess had been seized by suspected Iranian-backed forces, which Iran denied.The AIS tracking status of the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess was "Underway Using Engine" early on Wednesday, according…

A U.S.-flagged merchant vessel Maersk Kinloss rescued three Iranian mariners who had been stranded at sea for several weeks.The Maersk company informed U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) of the December 18 rescue.The stranded mariners were transferred to the Omani coast guard, who are coordinating their return to Iran.

A Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship sank off the Omani coast due to leaked sea water, reported Bahrain News Agency. Twenty sailors were saved.   The report quoted Authorities in Oman saying that the ship was loaded with construction material, consisting of steel bars and sand.   Police and Oman’s Transportation and Communications Ministry said that the boat sank off the coast of Lakabi, a town some 620 kilometers (385 miles) southwest of the sultanate’s capital, Muscat.   The 20 sailors, who were of various nationalities, were rescued and brought to the nearby police hospital in Lakabi. A nearby fisherman saved the sailors.   The ministry said the Tanzanian-flagged ship was heading from the United Arab Emirates to Eritrea in East Africa.

French oil and gas giant Total has pulled out of a deepwater block in offshore Oman after failing to make commercially attractive discoveries, a senior Omani official told reporters on Monday.   Nasser Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, did not provide details regarding Total's decision.   The company signed an exploration and production-sharing agreement in December 2013 for Block 41, which lies off the Omani coast northwest of Muscat and covers almost 24,000 square kilometres of seabed with depths of up to 3,000 metres.   Aufi also said that last year Hungarian oil group MOL had pulled out from Block 34, and Norwegian oil firm DNO from Block 31.     (Reporting by Fatma Alarimi; writing by Andrew Torchia; editing by Jason Neely)

Adverse weather from 15 to 17 June may affect cargo operations & marine movements of Port Sultan Qaboos, as a result of a tropical storm expected to hit the Omani coast on Sunday (15 June). The Omani Metrological Department has this morning issued a weather warning advising that Tropical Storm "Nanauk" is expected to hit the Omani coast between Ras Al Hadd and Ras Madrakah on 15 June. At the time of reporting, the storm was centered about 850km from Masirah Island, and estimated wind surface wind speed were between 35 and 45 knots. If the storm reaches Sharqiyah, it might affect Muscat, particularly northern areas of the governorate. The storm could bring between 100-300mm of rain during the 24-hour period.

As it is now the monsoon transition period and the sea states become more favourable for small boats, it is expected that pirate activity will continue to increase. A dhow was hijacked approximately 10 nm northeast of Raas Caseyr light, Somalia, in vicinity of position 12 00N 051 22E. It is believed to be white in colour, and its current location remains unknown. There has been an increase of piracy related activity in the Arabian Sea, as the weather has been favourable for small boats. A merchant vessel was attacked by one skiff approximately 300nm southeast of the Omani coast, in position 16 58N 064 48E  and another merchant vessel was attacked by two skiffs approximately 140nm northeast of Socotra Island.

As the NATO and EU NAVFOR operations Ocean Shield and Atalanta continue their work in the Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Red Sea areas, one could easily be forgiven for thinking, well, that’s that. Tough luck, pirates, the world is on to you. Sadly, as anyone involved in international shipping knows, that is very far from the truth. The fact is that the areas patrolled by the world’s navies are vast and the chance of early interdiction of a pirate skiff or mothership by a naval vessel is small. In the risk versus reward world of the pirate, it’s a virtual no-brainer.

On 11 December 2010, the Liberian-flagged MV ELENI P was released from pirate control. The MV Eleni P, a Greek-owned bulk carrier, deadweight 72,119 tons, was pirated on 12 May 2010 approximately 250 nautical miles off the Omani coast. The MV Eleni P has a crew of 23, of which 19 are Filipinos, two are Greek, one Ukrainian and one Romanian.

USNS Lewis and Clarke (T-AKE1) and USS Winston Churchill (DDG 81) assisted in the response to a suspected pirate attack on Chinese-flagged cargo ship M/V Tai An Kou, Nov. 20. M/V Tai An Kou reported to the Dubai-based UK Maritime Trade Organization that it was under attack by pirates in the North Arabian Sea at approximately 12 p.m. (Bahrain), while located about 100 nautical miles off the Omani coast. Lewis and Clark, received the distress call and, as the nearest vessel, proceeded to investigate. Upon arrival at the scene, the ship’s crew reported seeing pirates in a dhow and two skiffs firing upon Tai An Kou. The pirates then shot at the USNS Lewis and Clark which fired back in self-defense. No casualties were reported by the suspected pirates or Lewis and Clark crew. Winston S.

Suspected Somali pirates last week seized a German-owned cargo ship off the coast of the Gulf Arab state of Oman, the first recorded attack in its territorial waters, NATO alliance staff said on Friday, according to Reuters. The MV Charelle was reportedly attacked south of Sur on the Omani coast