A prompt action by ONGC and Coast Guard averted a possible disaster relating to an empty LNG Tanker ‘Gas Yodla’ on the Arabian Sea on 24 July 2021. At 6:35PM on that day, the LNG tanker re-ported engine failure and started drifting in the Sea, around 20 nautical miles (nm) from ONGC’s D1 field. The vessel is owned by M/s Shield Marine, headquartered at Dubai, UAE. The vessel was on its way to Fujairah, UAE from Mongla, Bangladesh. 17 people were onboard the vessel, including eight Indians and nine Ukrainians.
After the first information was reported by ODAG, ONGC promptly diverted its Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) ‘Sagar Pride’ and ODAG mobilized 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. 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. ONGC remained in constant coordination with DG Shipping, Coast Guard and ODAG to ensure that the vessel remain at a safe distance from ONGC fields.
Coast Guard Ship ‘Sankalp’ approached the adrift vessel by the morning of 25 July, 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 gen-erator by 5:15AM on 25 July. MV ‘Garnet’ was then arranged by the owners for bunker support. Subsequent to conversation 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 today on 26 July 2021.
