Operation to tow a damaged tanker and prevent an oil spill in the Red Sea

ATHENS (Reuters) – The operation to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker that became stranded in the Red Sea following an attack by Houthi militias last month has begun, a shipping industry source told Reuters on Saturday.

Towing the 274.2-metre-long MV Sounion to safety is the first step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel, which caught fire on August 21 after repeated attacks.

The second step will be the delivery of the cargo of around 1 million barrels of crude oil. According to sources, Saudi Arabia, a major player in the region, will offer its support in this project.

Any oil spill could be one of the worst ever caused by a ship, posing the risk of catastrophic environmental damage in an area that is particularly dangerous. An initial attempt to salvage the vessel was halted earlier this month for safety reasons.

At least two tugboats belonging to a Greek salvage company were involved in the latest towing attempt, sources told Reuters on Thursday.

Aspides, the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea, said on Saturday that its forces were in the area to protect vessels involved in the operation, describing the operation as a “complex undertaking”.

“Creating a safe environment is necessary to enable tugs to carry out the towing operation,” Aspides said in a statement on Facebook (NASDAQ:).

“The salvage operations of the MV Sounion are crucial to avert a possible environmental disaster in the region. To achieve this, several public and private actors are working together.”