North Sea Shipping Incident

[NAM Updater]

Whilst it might be a tenuous link; given that reports are now coming in that one of the vessels was carrying aviation fuel for the USAF in the UK, I wondered whether the incident might have an impact on aviation activity in the coming weeks and months?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgq1pwjlqq2t

Happy for this to be locked if not felt relevant!

[Gooner]

The BBC are reporting that one of the USA’s ships used to carry jet fuel for their military in times of “armed conflict or national emergency” is currently spilling fuel into the north sea following a collision.
Not sure the US is directly involved in either armed conflict or a national emergency (as such) so who was getting the fuel - Russia or Israel ?

[STN RAMP RAT]

It’s being reported that is US Government owned aviation fuel that is spilling into the North Sea. I assume that Mildenhall and Lakenheath have sufficient reserves to allow extended normal operations.

[Gooner]

surely we should be a little concerned with who the intended recipient of the fuel was as the US only uses these vessels in times of national emergency or armed conflict?

[Gooner]

Pretty sure that fuel is supplied direct (to MH) from refineries using an underground pipeline.

[NAM Updater]

Some speculation the vessel was inbound (anchored) for the Immingham Oil Terminal.

[James Cutting]

Maybe we shouldn't be jumping to conclusions so soon after a major accident (and whilst not everyone has been accounted for).

If you read the live reporting it was showing as fuel for the US Army.

[NAM Updater]

There's an inference in the BBC article regarding the USAF, which is what caught my attention & hence the post.

"I understand this jet fuel was owned by the US government. That’s consistent with the vessel being part of a US government programme designed to supply the armed forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency.

The US Air Force has several bases in the UK."

[James Cutting]

Sky News:

The tanker involved in the crash was part of a programme to have 10 ships capable of transporting oil for the US army in "times of need", according to the American Maritime Officers.

The group said the Stena Immaculate was reflagged in August 2023, as part of a programme by the US Department of Defence and the US Maritime Administration.

The programme was to comprise of a commercial fleet of 10 ships ready to transport supplies "in times of need" for the US.

They would continue commercial operations but could be chartered by the US government on a short-term basis.

It isn't known whether the Stena Immaculate was chartered under the programme at the time of the crash or not.

So it's still not known exactly what so let's just see before others worry about local bases, or who would've been the recipient.

[NAM Updater]

I guess it depends on your news source; the BBC are also reporting that all mariners are accounted for:

"Local MP Graham Stuart says he has spoken to the transport secretary and only one person has been hospitalised.

"The other 36 mariners across both crews are safe and accounted for," he adds.

Everyone is now on shore, but Stuart says he is concerned about the "potential ecological impact"."

[James Cutting]

That’s good news, at least.

[Pesmog]

It looks to be a serious incident. Did the RAF send a Poseidon MRA1 down to assist?

It might also mean that an Oil Spill response 727 is on standby depending upon the characteristics and volume of any spill.

[Vulcanone]

And rather dependant on the weather. It was a pea souper near Waddington today and pretty much same all the way down the M1

[EGDR]

surely we should be a little concerned with who the intended recipient of the fuel was as the US only uses these vessels in times of national emergency or armed conflict?

That part isn't completely accurate, they can be used whenever required by US DoD operations in the same way that many US registered civilian aircraft can (Camber flights). The UK MoD does the same and regularly has one or two civilian fuel tankers under five year charter contracts which run fuel supplies between various bases.

[NorvilleRogers]

It’s being reported that is US Government owned aviation fuel that is spilling into the North Sea. I assume that Mildenhall and Lakenheath have sufficient reserves to allow extended normal operations.

I believe the US Government recently renamed it the American Sea.

[Gus0898uk]

When you see the path of the other ship in the collision, has an act of terrorism been ruled out? A large ship at anchor full of jet fuel,a smaller ship full of chemicals on a direct path to the tanker?
Of course in the real world it was probably just a case of the watchkeeper on the smaller vessel falling asleep or going to the rest room etc

[Uncle Sam]

When you see the path of the other ship in the collision, has an act of terrorism been ruled out? A large ship at anchor full of jet fuel,a smaller ship full of chemicals on a direct path to the tanker?
Of course in the real world it was probably just a case of the watchkeeper on the smaller vessel falling asleep or going to the rest room etc

I have seen this possible hypothesis being reported on Social Media

[Vulcanone]

Or the foggy coditions played a part

[James Cutting]

Why do we have to speculate every time?

When you read several reports, a few comments (BBC News & Sky News) some experts on those threads have pointed to autopilot as being a potential.

For reference the ship that hit the US ship was a container ship (so not small) flying under a Portuguese flag.

[STN RAMP RAT]

When you see the path of the other ship in the collision, has an act of terrorism been ruled out? A large ship at anchor full of jet fuel,a smaller ship full of chemicals on a direct path to the tanker?
Of course in the real world it was probably just a case of the watchkeeper on the smaller vessel falling asleep or going to the rest room etc

I have seen this possible hypothesis being reported on Social Media

I think we can discount this conspiricy theory. Its likley human error, either there was no one on the bridge of the Solong or as was suggested in an earlier post they were asleep. The weather was almost certainly a factor as well.

Things are different on ships, in 2011 the MS Olivia colided with Nightingale Island near Tristan De Cunha. The reason for this was that the route was plotted on a map using a pencil that was wider than the island was on the map so when the route was plotted it completly hid the island. The ship was on autopilot with no one on the bridge when they ran into the island that they didnt realise was there.