Maridive-701

The 'Marridive 701' was among a convoy of tugs which were moving the heavily damaged LNG tanker 'Arctic Metagaz' (IMO: 9243148), which had exploded after a drone attack on March 3, on a north-northeastern course, initially in the direction of Misrata and away from sensitive offshore oil and gas infrastructure. As of late March 30, the convoy was roughly 80 to 86 nautical miles north-northeast of Misrata, firmly in international waters and edging towards the boundary of Malta’s SAR region. The position near 33.75° N has prompted questions about whether responsibility for the operation could once again shift toward Malta. The route taken by the convoy appeared to contradict earlier expectations that the vessel would be brought into a Libyan port, such as Misrata, for stabilisation and possible cargo removal. Now the convoy has been moving away from Libyan ports capable of handling such an operation. The tankers’s structural instability, combined with uncertain cargo conditions, has complicated salvage planning. The International Crisis Group has described the operation as high-risk, noting the potential environmental danger posed by the tanker and the logistical difficulty of securing and offloading its contents in unstable conditions. Weather forecasts added another layer of concern. A severe central Mediterranean weather system expected from April 1 to 3 could bring winds of up to 46 knots and waves reaching five meters, conditions that could further strain towing lines and increase the risk of losing control of the vessel. It remained unclear whether authorities were deliberately distancing the vessel from their coastline or simply reacting to difficult towing conditions. Over the weekend of March 28/29, harsh weather and strong currents had caused the towline from the 'Maridive 701' to the tanker to snap, leaving the wreck drifting just ten miles off the coast of Misrata. Following a high-risk emergency intervention by Libyan port tugs, the connection could be successfully restored. As of late March 30, the convoy managed to drag the tanker away from the coast and back into international waters, approximately 86 nautical miles northnortheast of Misrata. After having moved the wreck some 105 nautical miles north-north east of Misrata, which has put the 'Arctic Metagaz' at the limits of Malta’s SAR. zone, Libiya seemed to have abandoned the salvage operation on April 1.