Oil transfer from FSO Safer off Yemen 'to begin next week'

Supertanker Nautica preparing to sail from Djibouti to take on decaying vessel's cargo, UN says

The Yemen-flagged FSO Safer oil tanker floats in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen's contested western province of Hodeidah. AFP

The transfer of more than one million barrels of crude oil from a stranded tanker off the coast of Yemen will begin next week, a UN official said on Monday.

David Gressly, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen, told the Security Council that the FSO Safer has been “completely stabilised to facilitate the transfer of oil between ships”, and the oil transfer to another tanker would take about two weeks.

The 47-year-old Safer contains 1.1 million barrels of oil. It was left to decay after the war between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels broke out in 2014.

The operation is aimed at preventing a catastrophic spill in the Red Sea.

Mr Gressly acknowledged that the transfer carries residual risks, but contingency plans are in place.

Private company Smit Salvage will pump the oil from the Safer to the Nautica, a supertanker the UN purchased for the operation, then tow away the empty tanker.

Noting that authorities in Sanaa had approved the transfer, Mr Gressly said the Nautica was “preparing to sail” from Djibouti.

“It will moor alongside the Safer and should begin taking on the oil by early next week,” he said.

Maintenance operations on the Safer were suspended in 2015.

UN begins operation to remove oil from FSO Safer tanker – in pictures

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  A photo of the FSO Safer taken from the salvage vessel Ndeavor near the coast of Yemen. AFP / Coen de Jong / Boskalis

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  The UN says it is ready to start salvage work on the oil tanker stranded off Yemen's coast. AFP / Coen de Jong / Boskalis

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  The FSO Safer has more than one million barrels of crude on board

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  It is feared that it poses an acute risk to the marine environment

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  Concerns have been raised that the stricken oil tanker could break apart and release its cargo into the water

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  A crew to inspect the rusting tanker has arrived from Djibouti

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  An operation to relieve the decaying FSO Safer of its crude cargo is now set to begin

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  It is hoped the move will avert a potentially catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea. Reuters

Peace talks

Also at the Security Council on Monday, Hans Grundberg, the UN's special envoy for Yemen, urged the country's warring parties to end any “provocations” and to agree to a sustainable nationwide ceasefire.

Although an official truce dating back to 2022 has ended, relative calm remains in Yemen as talks continue.

“Discussions are continuing, but – if we are to sustainably end the war – these talks have to reach a serious breakthrough,” Mr Grundberg said.

The Oman-facilitated talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have not produced any breakthroughs since a high-level Saudi delegation visited the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa in April.

“The parties need to make further, bold steps towards a peace that is sustainable and just,” the UN envoy said.