A CATASTROPHIC Iranian strike against two product tankers engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of cargo in the Middle East Gulf should underline security concerns related to STS operations, a leading international expert has said.

A sea drone struck the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Safesea Vishnu (IMO: 9327009) near Basrah late in the night of March 11 as it was alongside the smaller medium range tanker Zefyros (IMO: 9324382).

The tankers were engaged in the transfer of a cargo of 48,000 tonnes of naphtha when the strike occurred.

The attack instantly engulfed both ships and the surrounding sea in flames.

One Indian seafarer, a superintendent chief engineer on board Safesea Vishnu, was later confirmed to have been killed.

“More protection is needed,” said Alexander Glykas, chief executive of Dynamarine, an STS assurance specialist that provides data and consultancy on the subject to many shipping companies and industry bodies.

“Ships engaged in STS operations are at anchorage, so they are at a standstill and vulnerable,” he said.

Glykas referred to at least one prior occasion in West Africa where terrorists targeted ships during STS operations.

Amid current hostilities, further STS operations would need to be attended by additional patrol boats, in his view.

Although the attack may ordinarily have chilled STS operations in the Middle East Gulf under present conditions, Glykas said that the need for further STS transfers was likely to be “very limited” until transiting the Strait of Hormuz becomes viable again.

“I believe that all the tankers in the gulf now must be laden,” he said. “For an STS you need an empty tanker and at the moment there is no incoming traffic.”

Engulfed in flames

A widely circulated video that shows the moment Safesea Vishnu was hit and both tankers were engulfed in flames is understood to have been taken from a nearby Greek-owned tanker.

The master watching the incident is said to have believed nobody could have survived the explosion and inferno that followed.

However, 25 crew members from Safesea Vishnu were rescued from the sea.

Benetech, the Greece-based manager of the other vessel involved, the Malta-flagged Zefyros, has now confirmed that all its 23 crew members are safe and accounted for.

“The condition of the vessel is currently being assessed”, said Benetech, which thanked local officials and port authorities for “their assistance during the incident”.

Salvage contractor Tsavliris has been awarded a Lloyd’s Open Form salvage contract to salve Safesea Vishnu, which is said to have been gutted by fire.

“We are currently evaluating the condition of the vessel and the various options,” said a spokesman for the salvage group.