Near the coast of Libya, the damaged Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz, which is transporting liquefied natural gas, is drifting. Libyan authorities have already engaged a specialized company to tow it to shore.

According to Ukrinform, Reuters stated this in an article.

The National Oil Corporation of Libya confirmed it signed a contract with a specialized firm to escort the damaged Russian tanker carrying LNG. The corporation emphasized that Libya’s oil facilities are not at risk of contamination and said the environmental threat can largely be controlled, with the operation coordinated with relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, Italy, France, Spain, and six other southern EU countries warned the European Commission last week that the tanker poses “an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological ​disaster.”

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The tanker, which transported LNG from the Russian port of Murmansk, was left unmanned in early March after reportedly being damaged by Ukrainian naval drones. In recent days, it lost steering near the Libyan coast and began drifting toward shore due to wind and waves.

Italian officials estimate that the tanker may contain about 450 tonnes of heavy fuel, 250 tonness of diesel, and an unspecified amount of gas, some of which may have already regasified and dispersed. The towing operation is being organized by Mellitah Oil and Gas in cooperation with the Italian firm Eni.

Previously, Ukrinform reported that Russian authorities sent two oil and gas tankers to Cuba amid a U.S. energy blockade. The U.S. Treasury Department added Cuba to the list of countries prohibited from receiving Russian oil after reports that a Russian fuel tanker was heading to the island under maritime blockade.

Photo: war-sanctions.gur.gov.ua