The Greek tank hit by a Houthi missile is now leaking oil

A Greek oil tanker that the Yemeni Houthis hit with a missile in the Red Sea a week ago is leaking oil, the US Pentagon said, according to multiple media reports.

Salvaging the ship has proved challenging as the Houthis threaten more attacks, the BBC said in a report citing the Pentagon.

“The MV Sounion is now immobilized in the Red Sea, where it is currently on fire and appears to be leaking oil, presenting both a navigational hazard and a potential environmental catastrophe,” said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, quoted by the Maritime Executive.

Reports last week said a burning tanker was floating in the Red Sea. It later emerged that the ship was attacked by armed groups traveling in small boats about 90 miles from the Yemeni port city of Hodeida. The tanker may also have been hit by missiles or drones.

“The vessel reports that it is not under command,” the UK’s Merchant Marine Operations office said, presumably meaning it has lost all power. “No casualties were reported.”

The Greek-flagged tanker Sounion had 25 crew members and was traveling from Iraq to Cyprus, the Associated Press reported at the time. The crew was rescued by a European warship and transported to Djibouti.

The BBC reported today that the Sounion was carrying around 150,000 tonnes – or almost a million barrels – of crude oil, and if it leaks as a result of the strikes, it could become one of the biggest oil spills from a ship in recent history . For context, the BBC recalled that the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill totaled 257,000 barrels of crude oil.

The Houthis have launched attacks on about 80 ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The Houthi campaign is prompting shippers to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal and take the longer route around the Horn of Africa, which will add an additional 500,000 bpd of consumption for 2024.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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