https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-22/the-delicate-operation-to-drain-a-floating-yemeni-oil-tanker/102617480 Skip to main content ABC News Homepage Search Loading More from ABC More from ABC Close menuABC * ABC Home * News * Local * listen * iview * Everyday * More Editorial Policies Read our editorial guiding principles * Accessibility * Help * Contact Us * About the ABC * Privacy Policy * Terms of Use * (c) 2023 ABC * * * * * Just In * Watch Live * Voice Referendum * Politics * World * Business * Analysis * Sport * Science * Health * Arts * Fact Check * Coronavirus * Other News HomeABC News Homepage This ghost ship floating off Yemen is a ticking time bomb. Now begins the delicate operation to prevent an explosion or oil spill Share This ghost ship floating off Yemen is a ticking time bomb. Now begins the delicate operation to prevent an explosion or oil spill By Middle East correspondent Allyson Horn Posted 3h ago3 hours agoFri 21 Jul 2023 at 7:45pm, updated 12m ago12 minutes agoFri 21 Jul 2023 at 10:50pm The stern of a very old oil tanker ship, showing rust patches all over the hull. The 47-year-old supertanker was left abandoned and has been out of service since the civil war broke out in Yemen in 2014. ( Reuters: Holm Akhdar) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article abc.net.au/news/ the-delicate-operation-to-drain-a-floating-yemeni-oil-tanker/ 102617480 Link copied Copy linkShare For eight years, a rusted, decaying supertanker, storing more than 1 million barrels of oil, has sat off the coast of the Red Sea, threatening to explode and cause one of the world's worst environmental disasters. But a bitter Middle East conflict has prevented anyone from fixing the problem. Now, after years of planning, a specialised salvage crew is attempting to remove the oil in a daring and delicate operation. It's the first time such a mission has ever been attempted. But the United Nations (UN) says the risk of leaving the oil where it is far outweighs the potential danger of attempting to transfer it to another ship. "A major spill from the vessel would result in an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe," the UN said in a statement. Here's what we know. 'This salvage operation needs to happen' The oil is being stored onboard a 47-year-old supertanker called the FSO Safer, which sits off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. A row of men with guns holding their fists up as they chant Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents took control of the country's capital city Sana'a. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah ) It's technically owned by Yemen's state oil and gas corporation. But the ship was seized in 2015 by rebel forces, the Houthis, at the beginning of Yemen's civil war. The country has been gripped by conflict for decades. But it plunged into all-out war in 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition tried to drive out the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who had captured vast swathes of Yemeni territory. Since then, it's estimated 377,000 people have been killed -- many as a result of indirect causes such as lack of food or access to health care. Amid the chaos, the tanker has had almost no maintenance and has decayed to the point where it's at serious risk of breaking apart or exploding. The UN has warned the ship could release four times more oil than was spilled in the Exxon Valdez crisis off the coast of Alaska, which would make it one of the world's worst environmental disasters. Years ago, the UN started planning and coordinating an operation to avert the crisis. Mohammed Mudawi from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) says his team had been negotiating with the Yemeni government and rebel forces for permission to remove the oil from the ship. A tanker at sea An oil spill from FSO Safer would have the potential to wipe out one of the world's largest marine ecosystems. (Reuters: Holm Akhdar) "A lot of political work has been done that cannot be underestimated in this project," he says. "The UN has to lead on this because it's neutral -- and this salvage operation needs to happen." The organisation purchased a massive tanker -- called the Nautica until it was renamed this week as the Yemen -- which is where the oil will be transferred to and stored in the near future. How will they transfer 1m barrels of oil from a decrepit vessel? In short, with extreme difficulty. The salvage operation, which will involve more than 60 crew, is highly risky and has been in the planning for at least two years. The Yemen will be manoeuvred over hours to be moored alongside the FSO Safer, surrounded by water balloons to avoid collision. A man in a white hard had stands on an oil tanker The Yemen, a replacement oil tanker for the decaying FSO Safer, has arrived in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. (Reuters: Adel al-Khadher) Once it's in position, crews will start connecting multiple pipes, or tubes, between the manifolds on both ships, placing pumps onto the FSO Safer. When all machinery is in place, the pumping begins. Mr Mudawi says crews should have the ability to pump four tanks at a time but, even then, it's expected to take about 19 days to transfer all the oil. "This is a very complex and big operation, because pumping oil from a 47-year-old decaying ship is not an easy task," he says. "The operation has to be handled with the utmost care and that's why we have one of the best salvage companies handling it." A ship's pipes, looking very muddy and decayed The ship holds more than 1.14 million barrels of oil, and experts fear if left for much longer, the pipes will crack. (Reuters: Holm Akhdar) The crew includes naval engineers, cargo surveyors, chemists and captains of each vessel, all overseen by the salvage master -- the man in charge of the mission. But an operation like this comes with extreme risk, including oil spillage into the ocean, explosions from gas build-ups and major disruptions from the weather. "But we are confident that despite the challenges, it will be a successful operation," Mr Mudawi says. What happens to all the oil? The internationally recognised Yemen government and the Houthi rebels dispute who owns the FSO Safer and therefore who owns the oil. So at this stage, the future sale of the oil remains unclear. The UN estimates there are about 1.14 million barrels of oil onboard the FSO Safer, which could be worth about $US75 million ($110 million). Mr Mudawi says the United Nations will work with all parties to oversee the successful sale of the oil, with the hope the money will be funnelled back into Yemen. A rusty looking oil tanker at sea The FSO Safer carries four times the amount of oil spilled in the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. (AP: Osamah Abdulrahman) "The UN is offering to establish a separate account for the proceeds of the oil -- and then together with the consent of the parties, we would agree on a list of projects to be implemented -- building hospitals, building schools," he says. "The prices of oil are really good right now so we want to make use of that. If they wait, the prices could fluctuate." But given it has taken years for the warring parties to agree on the removal of the oil, a sale agreement could be a long way off. Until then, the oil will sit onboard the salvage ship, which will receive regular maintenance and updates. This entire salvage operation is expected to cost about $US150 million. The UN has been fundraising for several years to fund the exercise and proceeds from the sale of the oil will not be used to cover the cost of the operation. Posted 3h ago3 hours agoFri 21 Jul 2023 at 7:45pm, updated 12m ago12 minutes agoFri 21 Jul 2023 at 10:50pm Share * Copy link * Facebook * Twitter * Related Stories * If this abandoned ship explodes, it could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe A red and white oil tanker in the ocean * With peace on the horizon, will Yemen ever be able to recover? 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