SOUNION

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Oil removal completed

More than three months after the Houthi terrorist attack on the ÄSounion' the damaged tanker has been successfully unloaded. The threat of the spill is over, but the tanker is heavily damaged and the attack raised new concerns of the scope of the Houthi efforts. Officials from Greece’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy confirmed the removal of the oil has been completed at the anchorage south of the Suez Canal. The operators of the tanker, Delta Tankers of Greece, had sent the tanker 'Delta Blue' to receive the oil. The operation had been underway since Oct 7, when a sakvage team of 27 people began work to stop the 18 fires set by the Houthi terrorists after the vessel was abandoned. The operation was made more challenging because the fires which had been burning for more than a month had fatigued the metal plates of the tanker. In addition, there is no power aboard the 'Sounion'. The initial Houthi attack on Aug 21 had damaged the engine room and left it disabled. The subsequent effort at setting off explosives on the vessel also destroyed the navigation bridge and possibly other control areas. The salvage team had to use portable pumps.

Cargo transfer has commenced

An operation to transfer approximately 150,000 tons of crude oil from the 'Sounion' to the 'Delta Blue'', using portable equipment, started at a safe anchorage point in the port of Suez on Nov 7. It is being conducted by a salvage crew aboard the tug 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The process is expected to take three to four weeks. The 20 separate fires caused by explosions triggered by the Houthis have been successfully extinguished by the crew of the 'Aigaion Pelagos'. The primary goal is to secure the ship and ensure its stability, as it lacks operational mechanical systems and its hull plates have been weakened by deck fires and subsequent explosions after being struck in a drone attack on Aug 21.

Fire extinguished seven weeks after terrorist's attack

Almost seven weeks since Houthi terrorists attacked the 'Sounion' in the Red Sea and planted explosives on the ship, setting off a series of fires on the ship's deck, these seem to have been turned off with the risk of a violent environmental disaster having been reduced significantly. Greek firefighters began fighting the fire on the ship on Sep 23. and after a week had some of the deck fires under contro. On Oct 6 it was announced that the firefighting efforts were nearing completion. Most of the fires were extinguished, while the rest were under control. On Oct 7 the 'Sounion''s heat signature no longer appeared on infrared satellite images, just as images taken from a satellite no longer showed smoke from the ship.