Euronav NV (“EURN” or “Euronav”) announces it has signed an agreement with the
UN to sell a VLCC as part of a wider salvage operation for the FSO Safer located in
Yemen. Euronav will provide a suitable vessel that will go to drydock for necessary
modifications and regular maintenance before sailing to the FSO Safer moored
about 8 km off Yemen’s Ras Isa peninsula, for the operation to remove and store
the oil.
The vessel will replace the FSO Safer and will stay there. Euronav will help operate
the vessel including after the transfer of the oil for several months afterwards. The
entire team of Euronav is very excited to be able to participate to such project and
do their utmost to help preventing a possible environmental disaster.
The damaged vessel, the FSO Safer (1976 – 406,639 dwt) is one of the largest
vessels ever built and for more than thirty years has been positioned off the
Yemeni coast. However, since 2015 it has been abandoned without power or
maintenance. It has become a real danger.
The vessel therefore represents an impending environmental disaster prone to
either break up or explosion. The United Nations has put together a co-ordinated
package of salvage operation, management of the FSO Safer and safe handling of
the stored crude.
Hugo De Stoop, CEO of Euronav said: “We are very proud to work with the UN in
this delicate and sensitive operation in providing an appropriate vessel but also
necessary expertise from our operational staff to support the salvage procedure.
This critical operation requires dedicated support from Euronav for at least nine
months and reflects our wider sustainability and environmental credentials. The
Ocean is our environment, let’s protect it”.
