Transfer Of Crude Oil From FSO Safer Stranded Off Yemen To Commence Next Week

International organizations and the United Nations (UN) have come together collectively to prevent a potential environmental catastrophe in the waters off the coast of Yemen. The focus is addressing the deteriorating condition of the 47-year-old floating storage platform FSO Safer, which currently holds approximately 1.14 million barrels of crude oil.

Due to a lack of maintenance since 2015, the Safer has suffered structural degradation, raising concerns about the possibility of an oil spill. To mitigate this risk, the responsibility of transferring the oil from the Safer to a UN-acquired Nautica was assigned to SMIT Salvage. The estimated cost for this complex operation is $148 million.

After careful evaluation, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen has approved the oil transfer, deeming the level of risk acceptable. Although the Safer has been secured for the transfer process, there remains a residual risk that necessitates the development of a contingency plan in case of any unforeseen incidents.

Update on #FSOSafer – more on the inspection to prepare for the ship-to-ship transfer of 1.14M barrels of oil, which is threatening a humanitarian & environmental disaster.

Thanks to @beleefboskalis & all partners in Yemen & across the for their support to #StopRedSeaSpill! pic.twitter.com/qrAociY6BH

— UN Development (@UNDP) July 6, 2023

Preparations are underway for the Nautica to depart Djibouti and reach the Safer in the coming week. The extraction process is estimated to take about two weeks to complete. This operation brings a significant sense of relief to the global community, considering that the Safer holds four times the volume of oil spilt in the infamous Exxon Valdez incident of 1989, which caused significant environmental damage in the United States.

The potential consequences of a leak from the Safer are dire, with an oil slick likely to affect Yemen’s coastline and the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. The estimated cost of cleaning the affected water is around $20 million.

Member States, the private sector, and the general public have generously funded this critical endeavour. Approximately $118 million has been raised from the estimated $148 million budget. In an impressive show of support, the general public contributed $300,000 through a successful crowdfunding campaign.

Environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and Holm Akhdar in Yemen and various entities within the United Nations have formed a coalition to prevent the impending catastrophe. Their combined efforts aim to safeguard the delicate marine ecosystems and protect the livelihoods of coastal communities in the region.

Reference: Albawaba, safety4sea, Investing

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Source: Maritime Shipping News