Yemen Averts Potential Environmental Disaster with Arrival of the Replacement Oil Tanker “Nautica”

HODEIDAH, Yemen — The replacement vessel “Nautica” docked at Hodeidah Port yesterday, marking its readiness to begin the crucial task of offloading oil from the aging tanker “Safer” to prevent a potential environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea.

Upon the ship’s arrival, a press conference was held featuring notable figures including Minister of Transport Abdulwahab Al-Durra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hussein Al-Ezzi, Chief Editor of Saba News Agency Nasr Al-Din Amer, and many other local and foreign media representatives.

The ownership transfer of “Nautica” was officially signed by Idris Al-Shami, the Director of Safer Company, and William David Grisley, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. Minister Al-Durra commended the significant efforts made to reach this crucial stage in saving the Red Sea from the threat of an oil spill and potential environmental disaster.

The Minister emphasized that the arrival of the new ship, renamed to “Yemen” now, was a significant achievement for the National Salvation Government, which played a crucial role in meeting its commitments to resolve the longstanding issue of Safer’s oil crisis, amidst accusations of media deception by hostile nations.

Al-Durra confirmed that the process of offloading the crude oil from the Safer tanker will commence next week after completing all necessary safety and security preparations. The operation is estimated to take between two to three weeks.

The Minister also commended the Supervisory Committee for Safer and all relevant entities for their coordination with the United Nations and their continuous efforts over the years to address the risks associated with the Safer tanker and prevent pollution in Yemen’s territorial waters in the Red Sea.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi lauded the efforts of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Yemen and their cooperation in providing the replacement ship, paving the way to start offloading oil from the Safer tanker and working to eliminate all risks and threats to navigation and maritime safety.

Al-Ezzi affirmed the National Salvation Government’s commitment to providing all necessary facilities for the UN team and technical and engineering crews to successfully carry out their tasks of emptying the tanker, after having conducted risk assessments and threat inspections in the past period.

Idris Al-Shami, Director of Safer Company, considered the measures and steps taken to begin the rescue tasks of the floating “Safer” tanker and the transfer of ownership of the replacement ship as positive indicators for addressing the deterioration of the Safer tanker, which has been caused by the arbitrary actions and restrictions of hostile nations preventing its maintenance over eight years.

William David Grisley, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, expressed appreciation for the efforts and cooperation of the National Salvation Government to expedite procedures and fulfill commitments concerning the Safer tanker. He noted that the purchase of the Nautica was necessary to avoid the real threats that were endangering the Red Sea, with its services expected to be inaugurated in the coming days.

Yemeni Oil Minister Inspects Safer Tanker at Ras Isa Port

Yemen’s Minister of Oil and Minerals Ahmed Daris visited yesterday the site of the Safer tanker, which is docked at the port of Ras Isa in Hodeidah Governorate.

The minister heard from the oil tanker’s crew and workers an explanation of the equipment and arrangements related to the plan for unloading the quantity of oil from the tanker and saving it from the dangers resulting from the systematic damage that led to the failure of its systems. This was due to preventing its maintenance and the dismissal of its technical crew, as well as preventing the arrival of the fuel for operating its engines.

The team explained that pumps and pipes have been prepared that will transfer the quantity from Safer to the ship designated to extract the oil, as well as taking all the precise information and details to unload the crude oil in a way that helps prevent any leakage or pollution of the waters.

They confirmed their full readiness and preparation and that they are now waiting for the alternative ship to unload the tanker’s crude oil reserves.

The Minister of Oil and Minerals indicated that the visit aimed to ensure the readiness of the tanker and the possibility of starting the process of transferring crude oil from it to the Nautica ship, praising the efforts of the engineering team and its role in continuing work despite the exceptional conditions witnessed in the country as a result of the aggression and siege.

He noted the efforts made by the National Salvation Government, under the guidance of the Leader of the Revolution and the Supreme Political Council, in following up on preparations and readiness to unload Safer, in addition to following up coordination efforts with the United Nations; In order to secure the Safer tanker, work on the safety and security of navigation activity, and the safety of the marine environment in the regional waters of the Red Sea.

Minister Daris confirmed that the suffering experienced by the Yemeni people for more than eight years is due to the continued aggressive war waged by the aggression coalition, which brought the Safer tanker to a state of danger, by preventing the entry of fuel and materials allocated for its maintenance.