Libya Contracts Special Rescue Team for Derelict Arctic Metagaz LNG Tanker Threatening Mediterranean

The Libyan National Oil Corporation has hired a special rescue company to secure the derelict Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, which poses escalating environmental and security risks as it drifts toward Libya's coast. The vessel, abandoned after an explosion in early March, has since been a cause for concern near Malta, prompting international assistance requests. Currently, it is approximately 53 nautical miles north of Tripoli, where Libyan authorities are responsible for intervention.

Published Mar 25, 2026

The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has engaged a rescue company to secure the Arctic Metagaz, a derelict Russian LNG tanker drifting toward Libya's coast, posing environmental and security risks. The tanker has been adrift for three weeks, about 170 nautical miles from Malta, following an explosion that left it unmanned.

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It has returned to the Libyan search and rescue region, roughly 53 nautical miles north of Tripoli, putting Libyan authorities in charge of intervention. The vessel carries an estimated 138,000 m3 of LNG and several hundred tons of heavy fuel oil and diesel, creating significant pollution risks. European governments have warned the European Commission of the ecological threat posed by the tanker, and the NOC has established a crisis management unit to coordinate response efforts.