mt Alpine Eternity: attacked by five IRGCN in Strait of Hormuz

Singapore-registered tanker Alpine Eternity

Five gunboats intercepted  in the Strait of Hormuz  a Singapore-flagged chemtanker, Alpine Eternity, and ordered it to halt, sending machine gun fire across the bow when it did not stop. The gunboats then fired shots directly into the ship's stern in an apparent attempt to disable the propellers, the officials said.   The Iranian vessels then called on nearby warships from the United Arab Emirates for help, but sped away when three Emerati coast guard vessels arrived.


It was not clear why the Iranian vessels attempted to stop the ship, or if any rounds of ammunition struck it. There were no U.S. citizens aboard, and although a U.S. Navy warship was 20 miles from the incident, it was not called upon to help and did not respond.
 ALPINE ETERNITY
Oil/Chemical Tanker  Oil/Chemical Tanker
IMO:  9430272
MMSI:  563944000
Call Sign:  9VGA8
Flag:  Singapore (SG)
AIS Type:  Tanker
Gross Tonnage:  29130
Deadweight:  46100 t
Length × Breadth:  183m × 32.23m

Year Built:  2009

[May 9 MV Maersk Tigris: U.S. Navy close monitoring of Hormuz ends]
U.S. Navy has stopped accompanying commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.   U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren said the mission's authorization "expired" at midnight in the Persian Gulf, or about 5 p.m. May 5 in Washington.
[May 7 Iran has released the cargo vessel detained by its authorities]
Iran has released a cargo vessel detained by its authorities last month, its official news agency reported. 

[May 4   “It's difficult to know exactly why the Iranians are operating this way,”

Coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt (PC 12) {added March 28}

“It's difficult to know exactly why the Iranians are operating this way,” Pentagon spokesman  Warren said. “We certainly call on them to respect all the internationally established rules of freedom of navigation, the law of the sea to which they are a signatory, and other established protocols.”

On April 28 at about 2:05 a.m. EST, Iranian patrol vessels approached the M/V Maersk Tigris, a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel.

Maersk Tigris

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a sovereign nation for which the United States has full authority and responsibility for security and defense under the terms of an amended security compact that entered into force in 2004.

The USS Farragut, a guided-missile destroyer, and three coastal patrol craft — the Thunderbolt, the Firebolt and the Typhoon — are operating in the area.

[May 1  6 ships passing the Strait of Hormuz under close Navy monitoring]

Six U.S.-flagged vessels are now in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, one container ship, three offshore supply ships and two vehicle carriers.   Four American-flagged vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz , all four ships were Military Sealift Command or U.S. government contract vessels.   They are under close monitoring , a U.S. Navy ship in the area that can respond in the event it’s required.


Following the April 29 seizure of the M/V Maersk Tigris, U.S. Navy warships will now accompany American flagged merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz to prevent harassment. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) “would assign forces as they deem necessary” to “prevent harassment and possible interdiction by possible IRGCN costal patrols” . The ships at NAVCENT’s disposal for the accompanying mission in the strait and the Persian Gulf include five Cyclone-class patrol craft, four Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers (DDG51), mine counter measures (MCM-6)) ship USS Devastator and guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60).

[April 30 Marshall-Islands flag boxship seized in Strait of Hormuz,U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington surrounded there on 24th] Rickmers Shipmanagement, the Singapore-based company that has chartered the Maersk Tigris, said it was concerned for the 24 crew members on board, most of whom come from Eastern Europe and Asia.He said the vessel was running along a normal commercial route between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and that the company did not yet know why Iran had stopped it.


The M/V Maersk Tigris was seized at the request of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, Iran's semi-official news agency FARS is reporting, citing informed sources. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was seized after a relevant court order was issued, according to the source, indicating that the IPMO had monetary differences with the ship owner.
Even though the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters, "innocent passage" is applied -- ships are authorized to pass through the body of water assuming they abide by all the rules of the sea -- because it is an internationally recognized shipping lane.
A U.S.-flagged ship was recently intercepted by an Iran Revolutionary Guard naval patrol, .   The incident occurred on April 24th when four Iranian naval vessels surrounded the U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington in the Strait of Hormuz. "the Iranians encircled the Kensington and followed the ship on its course for a period of time before withdrawing and breaking away." After that, the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet issued a notice to mariners about the incident.  Referring to March 28's incident, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said it was "inappropriate" for the Iranians to fire the warning shots.

USS Farragut, seen here, was dispatched to the Persian Gulf April 28 after Iranian forces seized a cargo ship, prompting its shipmaster to send a distress signal picked up the U.S. Navy.

#Iran has released Marshall Islands-flagged Maersk Tigris cargo ship according to al-Jazeera
— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) April 28, 2015

53 min ago (2015-04-28 14:51)

“At approximately 0905 Zulu, April 28, M/V Maersk Tigris, a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel, was approached by several Iranian IRGCN patrol vessels while crossing the Strait of Hormuz 'Iranian territorial waters'  transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz. The master was contacted and directed to proceed further into Iranian territorial waters. He declined and one of the IRGCN craft fired shots across the bridge of the Maersk Tigris. The master complied with the Iranian demand and proceeded into Iranian waters in the vicinity of Larak Island. NAVCENT directed a DDG (USS Farragut) to proceed at best speed to the nearest location of Maersk Tigris, and directed aircraft to observe the interaction between the Maersk vessel and the IRGCN craft. NAVCENT is communicating with representatives of the shipping company and we continue to monitor the situation. According to information received from the vessel’s operators, there are no Americans aboard.”

Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the cargo ship’s master had initially refused an Iranian order to move further into Iranian waters, but after the warning shots were fired the MV Maersk Tigris complied.Warren said the cargo ship has been boarded by Iranians, but no one has been injured and no Americans are involved.Warren said the cargo ship issued a distress call and the US Naval Forces Central Command, based in the area, sent a US destroyer and an aircraft to the area of the incident to monitor the situation.  Pentagon says ship that Iran seized was from Marshall Islands   A cargo ship that Iran has seized was from the Marshall Islands and not the U.S., news services reported, citing a Pentagon spokesman. Earlier Middle East news reports said the ship was from the U.S. The Pentagon spokesman did confirm that Iranian patrol boats fired shots across the vessel's bow and ordered it deeper into Iranian waters.

VESSEL INFORMATION

MAERSK TIGRIS
TEU (Nominal)5466
Built 23 Dec 2014
IMO No.9694581
Call Sign V7GQ7
Class DNV + 1A1
Flag Marshall Islands

Baikal: Iranian-owned tanker departs Greece

Greek coast guard vessels were on November 28 searching for an Iranian tanker that disappeared after being refused a request to refuel off the island of Syros as it was suspected that the vessel was carrying Iranian oil in contravention of a European Union ban.
The Tanzanian-flagged Baikal, part of top Iranian tanker operator NITC’s fleet, approached Syros on November 27  in order to refuel but officials from local company Sekavin refused after they, along with customs officers, checked the documents accompanying the shipment of 146,000 tons of crude oil. The documents did not detail who would be the recipient of the fuel.
“We conducted an initial investigation in order not to break the law. In the end, we did not provide them with any fuel because it would be against the rules,” a Sekavin official told Reuters. “Regardless of its flag, the ship represents Iranian interests.”
Sources said that at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, the Baikal set sail from Syros and 17 minutes later, when it was heading toward Myconos, the vessel’s Automatic Identification System was switched off.
Customs officials on Syros notified the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE), which does not have a vessel that can be used to track down suspects. As a result, the coast guard was called in. Authorities suspect that the Baikal was delivering the oil to a customer in Greece or the Balkans in contravention of an EU embargo.

Energy Centurion:release, hijackers take some oil

Energy Centurion hijacked by pirates in Gulf of Guinea was released August 30, some 60 miles east of Lagos, Nigeria, and was steaming toward a "safe port."
The tanker held 57,000 tons of gas oil on board and about 3,000 tons was stolen by the pirates.
Isle of Man-registered hijacked tanker was shadowed by French, Nigerian Navy and US air carrier [LHD? LSD?]was said ready to assist.    


Vessel's name: Energy Centurion
Ex-name(s): Not Applicable IMO number: 9387970
Flag: Isle of Man Call sign:
Port of Registry: Douglas Summer DWT: 0 MT
Type of vessel: Built: Aug 22, 2008
Type of hull: Owner:
Class Society: Det Norske Veritas Operator: Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A

Tour: Iranians ship $84 million of Syrian oil to China

Reacting to a report that a Maltese-flagged tanker is providing a lifeline to the regime of Bashar al-Assad by shipping Iranian oil to China, in violation of EU sanctions, the foreign and transport ministries said they took immediate action last week as soon as it became known that some Malta-registered Iranian vessels could be involved in the transport of oil from Syria in breach of sanctions.

Following the necessary verifications with the owners of the vessels, including the MT Tour, a decision was taken to immediately suspend the ships’ registration certificates and strike them off the register within a month.

[April 1]Maltese-flagged tanker Tour reached the Syrian port of Tartus at the weekend, where it loaded the 120,000 metric tonne (132,277 tons) cargo of light crude oil.
The vessel was last spotted near Port Said in Egypt, where is was due to arrive on April 4. Its final destination was not available but "I was asked to provide an option to ship to southern China or Singapore," the Chinese buyer as Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, a state-run company hit by U.S. sanctions in January.  Syria, a relatively modest oil exporter, has been able to sell its crude into Europe, its traditional destination until September last year when European Union and U.S. sanctions halted exports.
The crude oil cargo, worth around $84 million assuming a discounted price of about $100 a barrel, could provide Assad with much-needed funds after another round of sanctions designed to further isolate the country's ailing economy were imposed by the European Union last week.   Syria planned to sell oil directly to the Chinese but had trouble finding a vessel. The Iranians, however, had stepped in to lend a helping hand through one of its Malta-based companies, which sent one of its ships to collect and deliver the cargo.    ISIM Tour Limited, which is also registered in Malta and has been identified by the US Department of Treasury as a front company set up by Iran to evade sanctions.    Malta was ready to de-register the entire Iranian fleet flying under the Maltese flag, perhaps even before the expiry of an EU clause honouring IRISL contracts until November 2013, after a possible review along such lines.


“We’re moving in that direction,” , with the reservation that Iran should not simply be allowed to relocate its ships to other European countries. “We believe that all services to IRISL should be prohibited,” Dr Borg said. “We are ready to make that sacrifice, provided that all countries also make the sacrifice. Otherwise it would be masochistic.”


veritas:
 9364112 TOUR   Malta OT 81295 2007

Isim Tour Ltd
Marian Ship Management & Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd  
2012-03-13 Other/Undefined

Office of Export Controls Cooperation (ISN/ECC)

Zirku: laden 105,846 dwt tanker hijacked

Zirku 105,846 dwt Kuwaiti Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company tanker Zirku to Singapore from Bashayer (Sudan) was 250 nautical miles South East of Salalah, a pirate gang fired machine guns and rocket propelled grenades at the 2003-built vessel in an initial 10 minute assault before backing down. They then returned with a more aggressive hit 15 minutes later, overcoming water cannons and passing over two rows of razor wire to get on board the ship. It took approximately 30 minutes for them to gain control of the vessel.

Ship Name: ZIRKU
IMO: 9237802
MMSI: 470729000
Callsign: A6E2922
Flag: United Arab Emirates

Category: Tanker
Beam: 42
Length: 244
Draught: 9.6

Nile Blend Crude Oil loaded at Marsa Bashayer, Sudan. This is a new crude oil from recently developed oil fields in Sudan. The shipment of this grade by sea only started in September 1999 and its nature and the difficulties arising during its transportation are not widely known.

Nile Blend Crude Oil is a paraffinic crude oil with a high wax content, high pour point (+30°C to +36°C) and high wax appearance temperature (+39°C and above). The wax appearance temperature (WAT) or cloud point is the temperature at which waxy solids form by precipitation in the crude oil. At or below the WAT waxy solids will precipitate or settle out onto the tank bottoms and horizontal structural members. Once wax deposition occurs heating alone will not normally place the deposited wax back into suspension within the main body of the cargo.

Polar: now at Hobyo

The pirated Panama-flagged MV POLAR has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is anchored in the vicinity of Hobyo. earlier