Italy: Gas Shippers Face Pirate Threat

Gas shippers must tackle growing threats to trade as naval containment of piracy falters and surging global demand spurs traffic through high-risk waterways, the general manager of Yemen’s liquefaction plant said.

“There have been incidents when pirates have boarded LNG carriers steaming at 20 knots with high freeboard,” Yemen LNG’s Francois Rafin told delegates at a conference in Rome.

“The industry can no longer rely on the speed and height of LNG tankers,” he added.

LNG tankers are faster and sit higher in the water, known as freeboard, than other tankers, discouraging hijack attempts because of the added difficulties in gaining access.

Last year in the South China Sea six pirates armed with knives robbed the crew of a Qatari tanker carrying 216,000 cubic meters of fuel, without causing delays to delivery, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Report 2011.

Rafin said some shippers had even imposed no-go areas in order to avoid trouble, adding that private armed guards are being used when naval escorts are not available.

Shipowners have confirmed using private armed guards in the last year as they struggle to protect trade as piracy escalates, they said.

Tanker traffic through hot-spots like the Gulf of Aden reached record levels last year, in part owing to more supply from Qatar and Yemen as trade with Europe and South America rose

Over 885 LNG carriers sailed through the Suez Canal last year, up from 525 in 2009 and 429 in 2008, figures from the Suez Canal Authority show, while other tanker trade never fully recovered from the 2008/2009 slump, increasing the likelihood that LNG ships will start to draw unwanted attention from pirates.

Rafin called on the industry to properly address growing security risks.

Asked about recent sabotage on Yemen’s LNG plant, Rafin said preventative measures are being taken to deter repeat attacks.

“These issues are being addressed and we are reinforcing our protection and the government of Yemen is reinforcing our protection,” he said.

(ArabNews)