The 6403 dwt tanker “Nordvik” was hit an ice floe and started taking in water while sailing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) last week, as BarentsObserver reported. The tanker was fully loaded with diesel oil.
As a result of the collision with the ice floe, the tanker got a hole in one of the ballast tanks and started taking in water. The hole has been plugged with a cement box and the water ingress has stopped, the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport informs.
The vessel is now drifting in the Matisen Strait, where the accident happened, waiting for another tanker to come and take the cargo. This is a contradiction to information given shortly after the accident, which claimed that the vessel was sailing slowly towards Murmansk.
The tanker acted in violation of the permit given by the NSR administration by entering waters with medium ice conditions without being escorted by an icebreaker, the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport states. According to the permit, the vessel had permission to sail in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea in light ice conditions and only under escort by an icebreaker.
The ship owner Khatanga Commercial Port is negotiating with nuclear icebreaker operator Atomflot to have the tanker escorted to port in Khatanga. There is still no information about any leakage of oil.
