A tanker involved in a recent fiery collision near Singapore has entered Malaysia’s Bertam floating oil terminal after being detained by local authorities. The Sao Tome and Principe-flagged supertanker, Ceres I, was intercepted by the Malaysian coast guard on Sunday and has been held for further investigation.
The incident occurred last Friday when the Ceres I collided with another tanker, the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile. Following the collision, the Ceres I was found in Malaysian waters, being towed by two tugboats. Both the tanker and the tugboats were detained by the coast guard for further examination.
The Bertam terminal, situated in the South China Sea off Malaysia’s east coast, is a critical hub for oil production, storage, and offloading. The Ceres I, a very large crude carrier, is designed to transport approximately 2 million barrels of oil but was reported to be empty at the time of the incident.
According to shipping data, the Ceres I has previously been involved in ship-to-ship transfers of crude and fuel oil from Iran and Venezuela between 2019 and March 2024. The ship is managed by Shanghai Prosperity Ship Management, which has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Hafnia Nile, managed by Hafnia, was carrying approximately 300,000 barrels of naphtha intended for Japan. Hafnia is currently in discussions with Malaysian authorities to safely relocate the vessel. Naphtha, a key raw material for petrochemical production, was being transported in the Panamax tanker, which has a capacity of 74,000 deadweight tons.
In response to the collision, Malaysia’s coast guard conducted aerial surveys and reported minor traces of an oil spill at the collision site, located about 55 km northeast of Singapore’s Pedra Branca. The affected waters are among the world’s busiest maritime routes, given Singapore’s status as Asia’s largest oil-trading hub and the world’s foremost bunkering port.
Sources By Agencies
