Q-Flex LNG carrier Al Khattiya, owned by Nakilat of Qatar and managed by Shell’s shipping unit Stasco, ended up with a hole on its starboard side after being hit by an oil tanker off Fujairah.
The incident took place on February 23 while the 315m-long Al Khattiya was at anchor at Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates after the vessel had previously discharged its cargo.
The 210,000-cbm LNG tanker, chartered by world’s LNG producer Qatargas, was hit by Suezmax crude carrier Jag Laadki, owned by Great Eastern Shipping company, a Shell spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Monday.
There have been no injuries or reports of pollution from the LNG tanker, the statement said.
According to the statement, two of Al Khattiya’s ballast tanks were breached with a loss of some ballast water while cargo tank pressures “are stable indicating that there is no loss of LNG containment from the cargo tanks.”
“Al Khattiya is stable and remains at anchor while further checks take place. These will include detailed inspections.”
Shell said it has mobilised its emergency response team and is in contact with the vessel’s owner and relevant authorities.
“Safety and operations experts from Shell and third-party organisations are in Fujairah to support ongoing damage assessment and incident investigation. Divers will be used to confirm there is no further damage to the vessel below the waterline,” the statement said.
Although Al Khattiya had previously discharged her cargo, the vessel holds a small amount of LNG to keep her cargo tanks cool in preparation for reloading operations.
Shell said that before the LNG tanker can enter a repair facility, the residual LNG will have to be removed from the vessel by consuming it onboard using the vessel’s internal Gas Combustion Unit (GCU).
“Timing to move the vessel depends on damage assessments,” Shell added.
LNG World News Staff