MT Stolt Valor
| 250px | |
| Career | Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Name: | MT Stolt Valor |
| Owner: |
Owner: Panama-registered company, Ocean Carrier Transit Beneficial owner: Central Marine of Hiroshima, Japan |
| Operator: | Fleet Management Ltd. of Hong Kong |
| Completed: | 2003 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9274290 |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Chemical tanker |
| Tonnage: | 23,818 tonnes |
| Capacity: | 25,269 tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Crew: | 22 |
| Notes: |
Classed: by ClassNK Insured: through the West of England Mutual Shipowners Protection & Indemnity Association (Luxemburg) |
"It was not only an ordeal but also a nightmare for all of us on board the Stolt Valor." (Captain Prabhat Kumar Goyal, November 16, 2008)
The MT Stolt Valor is a Hong Kong-flagged ship that was hijacked while in the Designated Safety Corridor[2] within the Gulf of Aden, approximately 38 nautical miles away from the coast of Yemen, while heading from the United States south through the Gulf towards Asia.[3] After the ship passed through the Suez Canal, it apparently encountered the hijackers and alerted the International Maritime Bureau.[4] Area coalition forces arrived too late to avert the hijacking which occurred at 10:16 GMT on September 15, 2008 by Somali pirates.[5]
The Japanese-owned chemical tanker, managed by Fleet Management Ltd. of Hong Kong, and on time charter to Stolt Tankers, carried a crew of 22 members, including eighteen from India, two from the Philippines, one from Bangladesh, and one from Russia according to Fleet's spokesman, Ferdi Stolzenberg.[3][6] The ship's captain is Prabhat Kumar Goyal of Teg Bahadur Road, Dehradun.[7] The ship was carrying 19,800 metric tons of phosphoric acid, loaded in Morehead City, North Carolina, USA at time of capture.[8]
Following capture, the Stolt Valor made way to the pirate haven of Eyl on the eastern coast of Somalia. The pirates made contact with the ship's owners the following day, September 16.[3] The ship's Master, through email and phone, stated that his crew was unharmed and confined to the ship’s wheelhouse.[2]
Contents
Ransom
An initial demand of ransom for US$6 million was later decreased to US$2.5 million.[8] The ransom negotiations were conducted by National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) General Secretary Abdul Gani in Hong Kong, saying "Definitely ransom has been paid but we will not be able to go into details."[8]
Release
The Stolt Valor was released the morning of November 16, 2008.[1] It reached Patna on November 25, 2008.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Two-month ordeal was nightmare: Stolt Valor captain". ndtv.com. November 18, 2008. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080073111. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Couttie, Bob (September 18, 2008). "Stolt Valor Hijacking Update". maritimeaccident.org. http://www.maritimeaccident.org/stolt-valor-hijacking-update/. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Hijackers board Stolt Valor in Gulf of Aden". lloydslist.com. September 16, 2008. http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/hijackers-board-stolt-valor-in-gulf-of-aden/20017571173.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Stolt-Nielsen tanker hijacked". tankerworld.com. September 17, 2008. http://www.tankerworld.com/news/i73299/Stolt-Nielsen_tanker_hijacked. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Stolt-Nielsen says ship seized off Somalia, crew safe". news.alibaba.com. September 17, 2008. http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/finance/100005444-1-stolt-nielsen-says-ship-seized-off.html. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Mt Stolt Valor Carrying 18 Indians Hijacked Near Somali". india-server.com. September 17, 2008. http://www.india-server.com/news/mt-stolt-valor-carrying-18-indians-3803.html. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Stolt Valor hijack sends shivers among Doon sailors". in.news.yahoo.com. October 4, 2008. http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20081004/1055/tnl-stolt-valor-hijack-sends-shivers-amo.html. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Hijacked ship Stolt Valor released, 18 Indians safe, ransom paid". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. November 16, 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Stolt_Valor_released_ransom_paid/articleshow/3719050.cms. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ↑ "Warm welcome for MV Stolt Valor sailors". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. November 26, 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Patna/Warm_welcome_for_MV_Stolt_Valor_sailors/articleshow/3758024.cms. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
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