On February 7, 2024, an unidentified oil tanker washed up on the shores of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, spilling oil throughout seashores, coral reefs and mangroves. Bellingcat beforehand recognized the tanker because the barge “Gulfstream,” which was pulled by a tugboat named Solo Creed. We tracked its voyage by way of satellite tv for pc imagery because it sailed from Panama to a location offshore from a Petrolas de Venezuela (PDVSA) port in northern Venezuela the place it went “darkish” for a number of days by turning off its Automated Identification System (AIS) location transponder.
Bellingcat and the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian used open sources and maritime information to present that the Solo Creed was owned by people related to Melaj Offshore Company, a Panamanian firm with a historical past of transporting Venezuelan oil. Nevertheless, when contacted by Bellingcat and the TT Guardian, Augustine Jackson, an officer at Melaj, claimed that the tug had been bought in August 2023 to a person named Abraham Olalekan and was en path to Nigeria.
Nothing has been heard of the vessel within the months since.
However data launched by the Angolan Navy on Might 11, 2024, reported that the Solo Creed was seized off the coast of the African nation’s capital metropolis, Luanda, for unauthorised breach of its claimed offshore oil safety perimeter. Whereas the Solo Creed has not turned on its AIS location broadcast because it went darkish on February 5, Bellingcat was capable of confirm the present location of the Solo Creed utilizing satellite tv for pc imagery.
On Might 11, 2024, the tug Solo Creed was detained by the Angolan Navy for violating the safety perimeter of oil extraction blocks 17 and 18. These unique zones are operated by subsidiaries of BP and TotalEnergies, in accordance with bulletins on the businesses’ web sites.
A report by the Angola Press Information Company gives some details about the actions of the Solo Creed on the time of the detainment.
“Talking to the press, the Angolan Navy commander Divaldo Fonseca mentioned that the vessel’s occupants claimed that they supposed to resupply with water and provides, however with out the suitable authorization. […] Divaldo Fonseca reiterated the dedication of the Angolan Navy to proceed creating actions to ensure the inviolability of nationwide waters.”
Lately, the maritime border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been in dispute. Whereas neither block 17 nor 18 are situated in disputed waters, a number of blocks to the north are.
A video information report by RTP África confirmed the Solo Creed after it had been detained. Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian geolocated this video to Luanda, the place the ship seems to be at anchor in Luanda Bay.
A excessive decision satellite tv for pc picture captured on Might 18, 2024, tasked by Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian, additional corroborates this. A vessel matching the looks of the Solo Creed in earlier satellite tv for pc photos is seen on the location seen within the RTP África video.
PlanetScope imagery exhibits that the Solo Creed arrived between Might 9 and Might 16, and was nonetheless current as of Might 25.
The Solo Creed has not been seen in satellite tv for pc or on-the-ground imagery since February 5, 2024, when it turned off its AIS location transponder. The brand new photos of the tugboat present that whereas it has not modified its IMO registration quantity, it seems to have had its identify altered to learn simply “SC.”
Though the detainment of the Solo Creed was picked up by native media in Angola, stories didn’t point out the ship’s position within the oil spill three months earlier. On Thursday, Might 23, the federal government of Trinidad and Tobago appeared to understand the connection. A press launch was printed by the Ministry of Vitality and Vitality Industries requesting that the Ministry of Overseas and CARICOM Affairs open communication with Angola. The doc acknowledged the detainment however mentioned the federal government was trying to confirm the situation of the Solo Creed.
The oil spill, which began in Tobago however reached so far as Bonaire, has an estimated cleanup price of $23.5 million USD, in accordance with the Trinidad and Tobago authorities in a report made to the Worldwide Oil Air pollution Compensation Funds.
No insurer has but been recognized for the Solo Creed and Gulfstream, and no person has come ahead to assert duty for the damages.
Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian beforehand reported a dialog with the claimed present proprietor of the Solo Creed, Abraham Olalekan. Reached for remark, Olalekan denied that the Solo Creed had been seized by the Angolan Navy. He additional claimed to have been in communication with Trinidad and Tobago authorities and reiterated that “the barge has no insurance coverage to assist” with the oil spill.
Lotte van de Waal and members of Bellingcat’s Discord neighborhood contributed analysis for this story.
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