UK-based tanker owner and operator Union Maritime has confirmed that the MT Barrett has been released after a Gulf of Guinea piracy incident lasting six days. All crew are safe. The owner said that it was “extremely grateful to the many parties that assisted in achieving the successful resolution of this incident”. The crew are safely back in Lagos. The MT Barrett was at anchor off Benin, West Africa when communications were lost on the morning of Wednesday January 10th. The exact nature of the incident only became clear late on January 12th when those holding the vessel made contact with the company. A resolution process began, which ultimately led to the release of the vessel and all crew on board on January 16th.
Union Maritime thanked the authorities in Benin, Togo, Nigeria and India for their help.
MT Barrett (IMO 9351749) is a 11999-dwt tanker, built 2005 and registered in the Marshall Islands.
Barrett left an anchorage off the port of Lagos, Nigeria on the evening of January 5th, proceeding west until it reached the vicinity of Lomé, Togo, on the morning of January 6th. It departed the area on the afternoon of January 8th and was headed east until it abruptly turned to port, towards land in Cotonou, Benin, at which point its AIS tracking data ceased updating.
The company lost contact with the Marshall Islands-registered ship, which was at anchor off Benin, West Africa, on January 9th.
2005-built, Marshall Islands-flagged, 8,482 gt Barrett is owned by OBlue Ltd care of manager Union Maritime Ltd of London, UK.