A Delta Tankers suezmax that was attacked by Houthis and left burning in the Red Sea has not spilled oil yet, European Union Naval Forces said on Wednesday.
EUNAVFOR’s Operation Aspides, Brussels’ naval response to the Houthi menace on shipping, said the 163,800-dwt Sounion (built 2006) was still on fire a week after coming under attack.
Photos posted by the operation on X show flames scattered around the deck and smoke billowing above the tanker.
“EUNAVFOR Aspides operating assets in the area have reported that there are fires detected in several locations on the main deck of the vessel,” the naval force wrote on X.
“There’s no oil spill, and the ship is still anchored not drifting.”
A source with knowledge of Greece’s Delta — the Diamantis Diamantidis-led company that owns the vessel — also said there was no spill.
The source pointed to a report by maritime security firm Ambrey Analytics reflecting that US air assets have confirmed that there is no evidence of a spill.
Business intelligence firm Kpler data shows that the Sounion was carrying 922,000 barrels of Iraqi crude at the time of the attack.
The incident on the laden tanker in the Red Sea has raised the spectre of shipping’s worst fear since the Houthis began firing on vessels last year — that the Iranian-backed Yemeni group’s assaults could lead to a major oil spill.
Those fears escalated when the US military said late on Tuesday that the ship appeared to be leaking oil.
TradeWinds reported earlier on Wednesday that a spill from the Sounion could lead to insurance payouts of more than $600m.
The Greek-flag ship has protection and indemnity insurance from Gard and war risks cover from Brit’s Keel consortium.
Although EUNAVFOR has contradicted reports of an oil spill, it made it clear that the threat remains.
“All passing vessels in the vicinity are required to proceed with utmost caution, as the M/V Sounion poses both a navigational risk and a serious and imminent threat of regional pollution,” the naval forces said on X.
“To avert a catastrophic environmental crisis, EU Naval Forces Aspides, in coordination with European authorities, is assessing the situation and stands ready to facilitate any courses of action. Successful mitigation will require close coordination and active participation of regional states.”
Harry Papachristou contributed to this article
