Pirates off the eastern coast of Africa have raised concerns over maritime security for some time now, but perhaps none so great as interfering with world energy security. Within a two-day span, Somali pirates have captured both an Italian vessel carrying $60 million in crude oil and a U.S.-bound tanker with a $200 million crude oil payload (approximately 2 million barrels of oil).
The Irene SL—a 333-meter Greek-flagged oil tanker—was hijacked 220 miles off the coast of Oman by suspected Somali pirates on Wednesday morning, February 9. The tanker was captured en route from Fujairah to Suez. The whereabouts of the tanker and the 25 crew members is currently unknown. The shipment accounts for 20 percent of the United States’ daily crude oil supply and will likely never reach its destination. This marks the fourth time a large crude oil tanker has been hijacked in the last three years since Somali Pirate activity made global headlines.
This seizure comes just one day after an Italian oil tanker carrying a $60 million crude oil payload was captured by Somali pirates in the India Ocean. Gunmen opened fire on the crew and launched rocket-propelled grenades to subdue the vessel.
Shipping associations now fear that more than 40 percent of the world’s oil shipments passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea may be at risk of Somali hijacking.
These hijackings may mark a new era in international security. Back in 2008/2009, when Somali piracy first made headlines, U.S. President Barack Obama swore to combat the pirate threat to ensure the safety of the shipping industry. Now, that promise is being challenged with the disruption of U.S. crude oil delivery, and the very real possibility of an increased U.S. military presence in the pirate-riddled region may be eminent.
Source: European Union Naval Force