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Tug responsible for Trinidad and Tobago oil spill arrested in Angola

Solo Creed will not be allowed to leave Angolan jurisdiction until a security against the Caribbean nation’s claim can be guaranteed

The tug was towing the barge Gulfstream, which leaked 50,000 barrels of oil on to Tobago’s coastline, and even spread hundreds of miles to pollute the beaches of Dutch island Bonaire

THE tug responsible for an oil spill which saw 50,000 barrels of oil washed up on the Trinidad and Tobago coastline has been arrested in Angola.

Tanzania-flagged, 1976-built Solo Creed (IMO: 7505994) was towing a barge called Gulfstream, which was thought to be carrying fuel oil to Guyana before it capsized off the Tobago coast in February 2024, spilling thousands of barrels on to nearby beaches.

Efforts to locate Solo Creed had proved challenging. But the tug surfaced in Angola after it was arrested back in May 2024 for breaching the security perimeter of oil platforms. Open source journalism non-profit Bellingcat and the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian verified the location of Solo Creed using satellite imagery.

The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries said on Thursday that the tug has been ordered to be arrested once more after proceedings were filed in both Trinidad and Tobago, and Angola.

As a result, the vessel will not be able to leave Angolan jurisdiction unless security is lodged to secure Trinidad and Tobago’s claim.

That claim is in excess of $244m and could rise further as the costs of the spill are still being calculated.

“The government will continue to pursue all legal proceedings in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere to ensure that the rights and interests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago are protected and vindicated,” the ministry said.

“We will take all steps to hold the owners and or persons interested in the vessel accountable for the extensive damage caused to the livelihood of the people and environment of Tobago.”

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