A source at the National Oil Corporation (NOC) confirmed that control over the destroyed Russian natural gas tanker Arctic Metagaz was lost due to adverse weather conditions and waves exceeding seven meters in height. 

The source source confirmed that towline connecting it to the tugboat that was towing it away from the Libyan coast, oil facilities, and ports snapped. Adding, that given the volatile weather conditions in the Mediterranean basin, no one can predict the fate of this adrift tanker amid the waves or determine the direction the winds might push it.

He emphasized that “the situation calls for urgent action by the relevant authorities in Mediterranean countries, following the example of the efforts made by Libyan authorities, who tried with all their might to bring the tanker under control and remove the threat it poses to the Libyan coast.”

Failure of the Tug Operation

Earlier today, the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Coast Guard announced the failure of the tug operation due to difficult weather conditions, with the tanker now completely adrift and out of control at sea.

The center said the operation failed at exactly 4:00 p.m. on Thursday due to severe weather conditions caused by the deep low-pressure system “Ermino,” with wind speeds ranging between 40 and 50 knots and waves reaching five meters in height.