Egypt's Suez Canal remained blocked on Monday and shipping could be disrupted for at least two more days after a Liberian-flagged oil tanker broke down in the middle of the strategic waterway, shipping sources said. Shipping came to a standstill late on Saturday when the Liberian-flagged 154,000 tonne vessel, Tropic Brilliance, broke down while passing through the canal.
Port sources said some 104 vessels inside and outside the canal were waiting to pass through the waterway.
A Suez Canal Authority official said attempts using eight tug boats to shift the vessel had failed so far. "Navigation in the canal will remain halted for at least two more days," the official told Reuters.
The official said two Egyptian tankers were being used to try to lighten the cargo carried by Tropic Brilliance, a suezmax tanker that can carry a million barrels of crude.
According to the International Energy Agency, about 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil passes through the canal.
About 7.5 percent of the world's seaborne trade passes through the waterway, according to the port authority.
Prolonged closure of the canal would result in ships hauling commodities like oil having to take a much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa.
The Suez Canal is a major source of hard currency revenue to Egypt. Officials estimate that daily canal losses caused by the disruption were about $7 million and one analyst said the canal's reputation as a reliable waterway could suffer from the incident.
Comments
Comments are closed.