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Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Coast Guard successfully averted a likely catastrophe relating to an empty LPG tanker ‘Gas Yodla’ on which 17 people were onboard including 8 Indians on July 24. In a press release on Monday, the company said the LPG tanker reported engine failure around 6:35 pm on that day and began drifting in the sea about 20 nautical miles from ONGC’s D1 field.
The vessel is owned by Dubai-headquartered M/s Shield Marine, and it was on its way to Fujairah, UAE from Mongla, Bangladesh. Out of a total seventeen people who were onboard the vessel, nine were Ukrainians.
“After the first information was reported by ODAG, ONGC promptly diverted its Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) ‘Sagar Pride’ and ODAG mobilised its Vessel ‘P R Nayak’ to support the drifting vessel. The efforts succeeded in assisting the distressed vessel and also helped keeping it away from ONGC’s operational area,” the release said while further adding that ONGC also withdrew one of its Multi Supply Vessel (MSV) ‘Seamec-3’ and tugboat ‘Saroja Blessing’ from assigned duties and diverted those towards the drifting vessel. ‘Water Lilly’ tugboat from DG shipping also joined ONGC’s vessels.
The path of the vessel was closely monitored to ensure safety of the passengers onboard and ONGC installations. By 10 pm on 24 July, the vessel cleared the south of the D1 field at 15nm but was still drifting at 1.5-2nm per hour.
“Coast Guard Ship ‘Sankalp’ approached the adrift vessel by the morning of July 25 and took over as on-scene commander – from ODAG Vessel ‘P R Nayak’. The crew then successfully repaired the engine of MV Gas Yodla, and started its emergency generator by 5:15 amon July 25. MV ‘Garnet’ was then arranged by the owners for bunker support,” the release stated.
After a word with the Coast Guard, the captain of the vessel agreed to it being towed. The vessel was secured to DG Shipping Tug ‘Water Lilly’. As the tow line of ‘Water Lilly’ parted, ONGC immediately deployed ‘Sagar Pride’ which towed the vessel to safety on Monday.
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