Incident

Gard on Israel-Gaza conflict: Impact on shipping

Gard recommends ship operators and their masters trading to Israeli ports to carefully assess the risks involved in all port calls on a case-by-case basis.

Published

1 year ago

October 17, 2023

Admin

Maritime protection and indemnity (P&I) club Gard on Monday (16 July) published an alert on the status of ports in Israel following the ongoing conflict with Gaza:

The situation in Israel remains volatile and we recommend assessing all port calls in the country on a case-by-case basis. Appropriate measures should be incorporated into ship contingency plans.

Following Hamas’ large scale military offensive against Israel on the morning of 7 October 2023, the longstanding Israel-Gaza conflict has escalated considerably.

At the time of writing, the majority of the fighting is reported to take place in the southern part of Israel.

According to our local correspondents, Ashkelon port is in principle closed, but permission to berth or discharge cargo while moored at the port’s anchorage may be granted on a case-by-case basis. Ashdod port is still in operation but applies strict entry procedures for vessels carrying hazardous materials. Other Israeli ports, including Haifa, Hadera and Eliat, are currently reported to be unaffected and operating as before the conflict escalated. However, as the situation continues to evolve, the status of Israeli ports can also change.

Advice is likely to evolve quickly

The situation in Israel remains volatile and we recommend ship operators and their masters trading to Israeli ports to carefully assess the risks involved in all port calls on a case-by-case basis and:

make frequent checks with local sources of information, e.g. vessel agents, local authorities, and/or Gard’s correspondent, to obtain the most up-to-date and reliable security information available at any given time,
follow advice received from their flag administrations and port authorities regarding applicable ISPS security levels, and
review their relevant security and contingency plans and apply them accordingly.

As an example, on 13 October 2023 the Liberia Maritime Authority raised the security level to MARSEC 2 for all Liberian flagged vessels calling at ports in Israel.

Owners and managers should also ensure that seafarers on vessels heading towards Israel are aware of any imminent security threats in the region.Decision on crew shore leave should always be taken with the prevailing local security situation in mind.

As Israel is already included in the Joint War Committee’s (JWC) Listed Areas for Hull War, Piracy, Terrorism and Related Perils, we also recommend conferring with the vessel’s war insurer well in advance of arrival at any Israeli port.

Photo credit: Chris Pagan on Unsplash
Published: 17 October, 2023

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Singapore-registered bulker “YANGZE 22” reports bunker fuel spill due to collision in China

MPA reports a collision between Singapore-registered bulk carrier “YANGZE 22” and Japan-registered bulk carrier “VEGA DREAM” in the Changjiang River, leading to “YANGZE 22” spilling 9 mt of fuel oil into sea.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2025

Admin

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday (31 December) said it was informed of a collision between Singapore-registered bulk carrier YANGZE 22 and Japan-registered bulk carrier VEGA DREAM in the Changjiang River, China.

The incident occurred on 30 December 2024, at around 10 PM (Singapore Time).

YANGZE 22 reported damage to its hull and is currently anchored at Hengsha East Anchorage for damage assessment. YANGZE 22 also reported that about 9 metric tonnes (mt) of fuel oil spilled due to the collision.

The Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), together with several support craft deployed by YANGZE 22’s company, are currently conducting clean-up of the fuel oil spilled. MPA was informed by the Shanghai MSA that the situation is under control.

Both YANGZE 22 and VEGA DREAM are in stable condition and no injuries to the crew are reported on

MPA is in touch with the ship management company of YANGZE 22 and the Shanghai MSA to offer the necessary assistance. MPA will investigate the incident.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Len Weigh
Published: 2 January, 2025

Incident

Singapore: Oil leak at Pulau Bukom stopped; cleanup of oil sheens completed

Efforts by Shell to locate the source of the leak in the oil processing unit are ongoing.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 30, 2024

Admin

2 MPA craft (left) supporting Shell craft in the clean up operations of the oil sheens taken on 28 Dec 9am

There is no more oil leak observed going into the cooling water discharge channel after Shell shut down its oil processing unit at Pulau Bukom on Friday (27 December), stated a joint statement.

The clean-up of the light oil sheens off Pulau Bukom has been completed, informed an update from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board, and Sentosa Development Corporation.

Efforts by Shell to locate the source of the leak in the oil processing unit are ongoing. Additional containment and absorbent booms have been laid in the channel and at the mouth of the channel as precautionary measures.

1 Containment booms deployed in the channel of Pulau Bukom taken on 28 Dec 9am

Absorbent booms at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park and the beaches on Sentosa have also been laid as a precautionary measure. There have been no sightings of oil sheens or oil patches in the waters off Sentosa, and its beaches remain open for water activities.

Background

The oil sheens, discovered by Shell on 26 December at approximately 9:30 am, was reported to the MPA and the NEA at 11:58 am and 1:15 pm, respectively. An MPA craft reached the incident site at 12:15 pm to assess the situation and to provide support.

Initial assessments on 26 December determined the scale of oil sheens to be minor, with no risk to public safety or environmentally sensitive areas, given the containment measures Shell had implemented.

MPA deployed three patrol craft on 27 December when Shell requested support to hasten the clean-up of the light oil sheens off Pulau Bukom.

NEA is investigating the incident with MPA, and actions will be taken if any wrongdoing or lapse is discovered.

The leak in Shell’s oil processing unit is a different system from Shell's earlier slop pipeline leak on 20 October 2024.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 30 December 2024

Incident

Malaysia authorities seize tugboat and 50,000 litres of subsidised diesel in Port Klang

Investigations revealed the tugboat’s tank, containing diesel, had a connecting pipe which is believed to be pumping diesel to a storage tank; five men aged between 30 and 50 were also detained.

Published

4 weeks ago

December 17, 2024

Admin

Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) seized over 50,000 litres of subsidised diesel and a tugboat in a raid in Port Klang on 12 December, according to local media reports on Friday (13 December).

The raid, conducted by KPDN Selangor enforcement officers with Selangor police, was conducted at a jetty in Port Klang at around 3am.

Investigations revealed the tugboat's tank, containing diesel, had a connecting pipe which is believed to be pumping diesel to a storage tank.

During a press conference, KPDN director-general of enforcement Datuk Azman Adam said the diesel was sourced from certain suppliers within Malaysian waters and then pumped into onshore storage tanks, which was then transferred to tanker lorries.

Five men, a Malaysian and four foreign nationals, aged between 30 and 50 were detained to assist in the investigation.

The total value of the seizure was estimated to be MYR 900,000 including the tugboat, diesel stored in the vessel and storage tank, connecting hoses and other equipment believed to have been used in the operation.

Azman added further investigations are ongoing under Control of Supplies Act 1961 (Act 122).

Photo credit: Aaron Lee on Unsplash
Published: 17 December, 2024