Greek tanker hit by Houthi missile now leaks oil

Oil is leaking from a Greek tanker that the Yemeni Houthis attacked with a missile in the Red Sea a week ago, the US Pentagon said, according to several media reports.

Salvaging the ship has proven difficult as the Houthis threaten further attacks, a BBC report said, citing the Pentagon.

“The MV Sounion is currently immobilized in the Red Sea, where it is currently burning and appears to be leaking oil, posing both a navigational hazard and a potential environmental disaster,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said, according to Maritime Executive.

Last week, a burning tanker was reported to be floating in the Red Sea. It later emerged that the ship had been attacked by armed groups travelling in small boats about 90 miles off the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The tanker was also reportedly hit by missiles or drones.

“The vessel reports being out of control,” the UK's Office of Maritime Commercial Operations said at the time, which likely means it has lost all power. “No casualties have been reported.”

The Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion had 25 crew members and was en route from Iraq to Cyprus, the Associated Press reported at the time. The crew was rescued by a European warship and taken to Djibouti.

The BBC reported today that the Sounion was carrying around 150,000 tonnes – or almost a million barrels – of crude oil. If it were to leak as a result of the attacks, it could be one of the largest oil disasters involving a ship in recent history. By comparison, the BBC pointed out that the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 resulted in a total of 257,000 barrels of crude oil being spilled.

The Houthis have attacked an estimated 80 ships since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

The Houthi campaign is causing shipowners to avoid the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and instead take the longer route around the Horn of Africa, which is expected to result in an additional fuel consumption of 500,000 barrels per day by 2024.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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