In January 2011, the tanker "Yemen Oil 11" IMO 7908914, built in 1979, turned into "Champion 1", but the ship, which has been owned since 2007, by one of the companies of the businessman Ahmed Saleh Al-Essa, which was previously owned by the Saba Islamic Bank, which is affiliated with businessman Hamid Al-Ahmar, since 2004.
In accordance with the vessel tracking system, the vessel was actually out of service in a delinquency accident on the shores of the Mukalla Sea in July 2013. Since then, the tanker has turned into a living threat to the marine and coastal environment of the city of Mukalla, in light of the suspicious silence of a number of relevant authorities and government agencies, including the local authority in Hadramout.
Argument over payload size
According to the design of (Champion 1), as provided by ship databases, it was designed to carry 3,843 tons of oil derivatives, but the various statements issued by the Mukalla Maritime Affairs and Environmental Protection Authority went to estimate the tanker's tonnage between 4000 to 4770 metric tons of diesel from Aden refineries. The authority added that 1,400 metric tons of this quantity spilled at the time into the sea, leaving a pollution range of 20 km.
In this regard, Captain Riadh Saeed Bajuma'an, Director General of Inspection and Ship Registration at the General Authority for Maritime Affairs, confirms to Khuyut that the attached information is not necessarily correct. He went on saying that this information is misleading to screen the loading capacity of oil ships in order to reduce the fees of entry and exit to the ports.
Abdu Al Qader Al-Kharraz: "Mazut has a significant impact on the biodiversity of the seas, coasts and mangrove forests, and causes the death of fish and birds. It also forms an insulating layer from the sun's rays, and thus reduces photosynthesis of organisms in the seas."
A source in the Aden Refineries - who declined to be named - told "Khuyut" that it is not possible to load any tanker in excess of its specified carrying capacity, pointing out that he does not currently remember how much (Champion 1) was the tanker carrying of oil at that time. The database of the Arabian Sea ports confirms that the tanker, which left the port of Aden on June 20, 2013, was carrying 3,843 tons of oil.
Threatened by splitting
According to confirmed information obtained by Khuyut, (Champion 1), after years of being stranded and eroding, is now vulnerable to splitting in half as a result of the blows of the sea waves, and this may happen soon due to the approaching season of sea turmoil. Dismantling work has begun on the body of the dilapidated tanker, which warns that the remaining oil oil in its tanks will spill into the sea water and pollute the marine and coastal environment.
Moreover, Captain Riyadh Saeed Ba Juma'an, Director General of Inspection and Ship Registration at the Public Authority for Maritime Affairs, says that its sinking will affect maritime life and the marine environment. In terms of maritime safety, it will impede the movement of ships.
Ba Juma'an also explained that the extraction process in view of the existing wear and tear of the tanker will lead to fission and spillage of the remaining Mazut, as well as the washing of tanks that carry the remnants of various oil derivatives; Gasoline, oil and diesel, which will be spilled into the sea and cause major environmental disasters.
One Picture
Single photo of a oil tanker (Champion 1) provided by vessel tracker. The photo was taken in September 2009, in Hodeida, then it was called Yemen Petroleum 11. The photo also shows how rusty the tanker's hull is.
Imminent Risks
The scientific journalist, head of the Humanitarian Press Foundation in Yemen, Bassam Al-Qadhi, who closely follows the details of the (Champion 1) file, told "Khuyut" that the tanker, which ran aground on the coast of Mukalla in July 2013, was carrying 4,770 metric tons of diesel. And he quoted sources - he declined to mention - that the amount of diesel that has been unloaded from the tanker since it ran aground does not exceed 20%, and that the oil leaked during 10 years does not exceed 1,500 tons; This means that the tanker still contains hundreds of tons of diesel, which threatens to be spilt in the waters of the Mukalla Sea in the coming weeks. This imminent danger is expected in light of the continued sinking of large parts of the tanker, and the failure that has been going on for 10 years to avert the disaster. The fission threatens the surrounding environment of the sea and beaches of Mukalla and nearby areas. Moreover, the damage may extend to long distances, which increases the scale of the disaster, and causes direct and indirect damage to human health in Hadramout.
In turn, the Professor of Environmental Impact at the College of Marine Sciences at the University of Hodeida, Abdu Al Qadir Al-Kharraz, said in an interview with "Khuyut": "Mazut has a significant impact on the biodiversity of the seas, coasts and mangrove forests, and causes the death of fish and birds. It also forms an insulating layer from the sun's rays, and thus reduces photosynthesis of organisms in the seas."
Al-Kharraz draws attention to the impacts of oil as well because of its hydrocarbon composition, as it is low in viscosity and quickly evaporates; Consequently, it emits toxic emissions in the air, and at the speed and direction of the wind. It is transmitted to populated areas, and causes many respiratory diseases and cancers, as well as its additional impact on climate change and the spread of toxic oxides.
