Gibraltar: Bulk Carrier Aground After Collision with LNG Carrier

1. A bulk carrier suffered significant damage and is partially sunk following a collision with an LNG carrier off the coast of Gibraltar on Monday.

A survey inspection of the bulk carrier, the OS 35, has confirmed a gash amidships measuring approximately 10 meters by 4 meters on the ship’s starboard side. Its bulbous bow is submerged approximately 1.2 meters in the sandy seabed.

All crew members remain on board and the ship remained stable overnight, according to a Tuesday morning update from the Gibraltar Port Authority. The vessel is at anchor off Catalan Bay on the east side of the Iberian Peninsula, however the collision took place in the Bay of Gibraltar/Algeciras, on the west side of the peninsula, as the OS 35 was departing.

The LNG carrier, Adam LNG, which is unladen, has no significant damage but was dented on its bulbous bow. The vessel has suffered no water ingress.

No injuries reported on either vessel.

So far, they report there has been no oil spill from the vessel but they have prepared more than 1,300 feet of boom that can be deployed. The bulker is reportedly loaded with 183 tons of heavy fuel oil, 250 tons of diesel, and 27 tons of lube oil.
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2. The collision forced the closure of the port for four hours, but it has fully reopened, authorities said, while booms were being deployed around the beached vessel to prevent any potential fuel spill.

"The Gibraltar Port Authority remains at the scene and is continuously reviewing all aspects of the situation," the Gibraltar government said in a statement.

The vessel OS 35, loaded with steel bars and carrying over 400 tonnes of fuel, clipped the ADAM LNG as the former was moving to exit the bay. The Marshall Islands-flagged ADAM LNG arrived in Gibraltar after unloading in Malta. It remains at anchor near the place where the collision took place.

The Gibraltar Port Authority directed the OS 35 to the eastside to ensure it could be safely beached to minimize the risk of the vessel sinking.

Its 24-strong crew remain onboard at the request of the captain, but could be evacuated if necessary.
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