NYK supertanker attacked

An attack on a Nippon Yusen Kaisha supertanker Monday was believed to be one factor helping boost oil prices to record high Monday when the contract for light sweet crude oil for delivery in May briefly hit $118.05 dollars per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Japanese shipping giant said the very large crude carrier Takayama was sailing in the Gulf of Aden Monday morning at about 4:40 a.m. local time, when a small, unidentified boat fired some sort of munition. The ship was about 440 kilometers east of the Yemeni city of Aden when the attack occurred.

Crewmembers discovered a 20-millimeter hole on the port side near the ship's stern. The company said a few thousand liters of fuel oil appear to have leaked through this hole, but it has since been patched and no increased risk of fire exists.

NYK said the ship manager reported that the weapon fired at the tanker appeared to be a rocket launcher.

Takayama sailed to Aden so that an extensive inspection of the vessel can be conducted. The vessel was on a ballast voyage to Yamboo in Saudi Arabia from Ulsan, Korea.

French news service Agence France Presse, said the ship was attacked by heavily armed pirates, and said it came the a day after a Spanish tuna fishing boat carrying a crew of 26 was seized by pirates in waters off Somalia.

In an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK, a crewmember said the ship was attacked four times.

A German Navy frigate, the Emden, launched a helicopter to intercept the pirates who fled.

None of the 23 members of the tanker's crew -- 16 Filipinos and seven Japanese -- were injured in the attack.

Meanwhile, the United States and France are said to be drafting a United Nations resolution that would allow countries to chase and arrest pirates.

The Associated Press quoted France's UN Ambassador Jean- Maurice Ripert as saying the resolution would authorize foreign governments to pursue pirate vessels into territorial waters, make arrests and prosecute suspects.

In addition to the attack on the NYK tanker and the Spanish fishing boat, pirates earlier this month hijacked a cruise ship operated by CMA CGM.

Source: Transportweekly