FSO Safer

Safer was built in 1976 by the Hitachi Zosen Corporation in Japan as the oil tanker Esso Japan.{{cite ship register |register=MSI |id=7376472 |shipname=Safer |accessdate=19 December 2019}} As built, her gross tonnage was 192,679 and deadweight tonnage 406,640 tons. She measured {{convert|362|m|ft}} in length and her beam was {{convert|70|m|ft}}. She was powered by a single steam turbine that gave her a service speed of {{convert|15.5|kn|mph}}.

In 1987, Esso Japan was converted into an unpropelled storage vessel and renamed Safer. She was moored about {{convert|7|km|mi}} off the coast of Yemen in 1988 under the ownership of the Yemeni government via the national oil company, which used her to store and export oil from inland oil fields around Ma'rib.{{cite web |url=https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/288102/report-houthis-seeking-help-to-prevent-massive-oil-spill-off-yemen-from-leaking-fso/ |title=Report: Houthis Seeking Help to Prevent Massive Oil Spill off Yemen from Leaking FSO |publisher=World Maritime News |date=17 December 2019 |accessdate=19 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/23/yemen-deserted-tanker-holding-over-1m-oil-barrels-explode |title=Experts fear deserted oil tanker off Yemen could explode |work=The Guardian |date=23 July 2019 |accessdate=19 December 2019}} In her storage configuration, Safer has a capacity of about three million barrels of oil.

In March 2015, in the early days of the Yemeni Civil War, Safer fell into the hands of Houthi forces when they took control of the coastline surrounding her mooring. In the following years, her structural condition deteriorated significantly, leading to the risk of a catastrophic hull breach or explosion of oil vapors that would typically be suppressed by inert gas generated on board. The ship was estimated to contain about 1.14 million barrels of oil valued at up to US$80 million, which became a point of contention in negotiations between the Houthi rebels and Yemeni government, both of which asserted claims to the cargo and vessel.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/24/oil-tanker-near-yemen-coast-could-soon-explode-experts-warn.html |title='Floating bomb': Decaying oil tanker near Yemen coast could soon explode, experts warn |publisher=CNBC |date=24 July 2019 |accessdate=19 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/12/deserted-oil-tanker-yemen-houthis-191215092413449.html |title=Deserted oil tanker in Yemen: Houthis ask for help |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 December 2019 |accessdate=19 December 2019}} In early December 2019, Al Jazeera reported that oil had begun to leak from Safer, though subsequent satellite imagery showed that the report had been inaccurate and there was no sign of oil outflow from the ship.{{cite web |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/yemens-deadly-ghost-ship/ |title=Yemen's deadly ghost ship |publisher=OpenDemocracy |date=18 February 2020 |accessdate=28 March 2020}}

Following a leak in the cooling system, water entered the machine room, prompting the United Nations Security Council to hold a special meeting about it in July 2020.{{cite web |accessdate=2020-07-16 |title='Ticking bomb' warning for decaying Yemen ship, loaded with oil |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3092823/ticking-time-bomb-warning-decaying-tanker-yemen-loaded-11 |date=12 July 2020 |website=South China Morning Post}}{{cite news |first1=Patrick |last1=Wintour |accessdate=2020-07-16 |title=Oil spill from Yemen tanker 'would be four times worse than Exxon Valdez' – UN |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/16/time-running-out-to-prevent-huge-oil-spill-off-yemen-un-official-warns |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 July 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}

On 15 July 2020, the United Nations warned that the FSO Safer could spill four times as much oil as the Exxon Valdez oil spill.{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-tanker-idUSKCN24G359 |title=Tanker off Yemen risks spilling four times as much oil as Exxon Valdez – U.N. |newspaper=Reuters |date=15 July 2020 |via=www.reuters.com}}

On 24 September 2020, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations wrote in a letter that experts had observed that "a pipeline attached to the vessel is suspected to have been separated from the stabilizers holding it to the bottom and is now floating on the surface of the sea."{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security-tanker-idUKKCN26F03U |title=Saudis warn U.N. of oil spot in shipping lane near decaying Yemen tanker |publisher=Reuters |date=23 September 2020 |accessdate=15 October 2020}} In late November, the United Nations and Houthi leadership reached an agreement to allow a UN-led team access to Safer by January 2021 for purposes of inspection and repair.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/world/middleeast/yemen-houthis-tanker.html |title=U.N. Gets OK to Aid Crippled Yemen Tanker After Months of Waiting |work=The New York Times |first=Rick |last=Gladstone |date=24 November 2020 |access-date=26 November 2020}} The expedition was delayed indefinitely when the Houthis failed to provide a letter assuring the safety of the UN-led team.{{Cite news |last=Gladstone |first=Rick |date=2021-02-03 |title=U.N. Delays Salvage of Yemen Oil Tanker Amid Fears of Major Spill |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/world/middleeast/yemen-oil-tanker-salvage-fso-safer.html |access-date=2021-03-25 |issn=0362-4331}}

As of October 2021, it was being reported that the FSO Safer was at imminent risk of sinking, fire or explosion.{{Cite magazine |last=Caesar |first=Ed |date=2021-10-02 |title=The Ship That Became a Bomb |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/the-ship-that-became-a-bomb |access-date=2021-10-11 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |title=A massive, defunct oil tanker off of Yemen's coastline could sink or explode any day, costing the shipping industry billions and leaving millions of Yemenis in harm's way |url=https://news.yahoo.com/massive-defunct-oil-tanker-off-030521929.html |access-date=2021-10-11 |work=Business Insider |via=Yahoo! News |language=en-US |first=Azmi |last=Haroun}} A massive spill would be disastrous, closing the ports of Hudaydah and As-Salif for weeks, disrupting the food aid on which half the population of the country depends. This could also cause a lack of fuel, necessary for pumping or delivering water, and could disrupt desalination plants in the area. A spill would also shut down the fishing industry on which 1.7 million people depend, and could disrupt world trade passing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.{{cite journal |display-authors=etal |last1=Benjamin Huynh |title=Public health impacts of an imminent Red Sea oil spill |journal=Nature Sustainability |date=11 October 2021 |volume=4 |issue=12 |pages=1084–1091 |doi=10.1038/s41893-021-00774-8 |pmid=34926834 |pmc=8682806}}{{cite journal |last1=Graham Lawton |title=Decaying oil tanker near Yemen could trigger humanitarian disaster |journal=New Scientist |date=11 October 2021 |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2293245-decaying-oil-tanker-near-yemen-could-trigger-humanitarian-disaster/ |access-date=2023-03-10}} The potential cost of damage has been estimated at $20 billion.{{cite web |title=UN says 'imminent' Yemen oil spill would cost $20 bn to clean up |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220509-un-says-imminent-yemen-oil-spill-would-cost-20-bn-to-clean-up |website=France 24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510091602/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220509-un-says-imminent-yemen-oil-spill-would-cost-20-bn-to-clean-up |archive-date=10 May 2022 |language=en |date=9 May 2022 |url-status=live}}

On 5 March 2022, Mohammed al-Houthi signed an agreement with the United Nations to pump the oil still in the decaying tanker into another ship to prevent a potential natural disaster.{{Cite web |title=Yemen's Houthis agree UN proposal to offload decaying oil tanker |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-houthis-agree-un-proposal-offload-decaying-oil-tanker |website=middleeasteye.net |access-date=2022-03-06 |language=en-US}} The cost of the salvage operation has been estimated at $80–144 million. A conference held on 10 May 2022 in the Netherlands raised less than $40 million toward the $80 million cost of transferring the oil to a temporary storage ship.{{cite news |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/2022/05/19/eu-to-donate-3m-towards-salvage-of-yemens-floating-time-bomb-oil-tanker/ |title=EU to donate $3m towards salvage of Yemen's 'floating time-bomb' oil tanker |date=19 May 2022 |newspaper=The National |access-date=2023-03-10}} The UN launched a crowdfunding campaign, asking members of the public for contributions as well.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/can-the-international-community-avert-disaster-in-the-red-sea |title=Can the International Community Avert Disaster in the Red Sea? |first=Ed |last=Caesar |magazine=The New Yorker |date=25 June 2022 |access-date=2023-03-10}}

In September 2022, the UN declared that it has raised sufficient money to carry out the first phase of the operation, and is looking to countries to provide the funds they pledged.{{cite web |last1=Chambers |first1=Sam |title=UN ready to offload oil from decaying FSO off Yemen |url=https://splash247.com/un-ready-to-offload-oil-from-decaying-fso-off-yemen/ |website=Splash247 |access-date=22 September 2022 |date=20 September 2022}}{{cite news |last1=McQuillan |first1=Laura |last2=Chughtai |first2=Waqas |title=UN urges countries to transfer millions in pledges to avert catastrophic oil spill from Red Sea tanker |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/un-fso-safer-salvage-funding-1.6590074 |access-date=22 September 2022 |publisher=CBC News |date=21 September 2022}}

{{multiple image

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| header = Simulated consequences of an oil spill from the FSO Safer

| image1 = Simulated surface oil concentration of imminent Red Sea oil spill from the FSO Safer.webp

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| caption2 = Simulated air pollution concentration (a preliminary scientific projection)

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In March 2023, in a statement from Achim Steiner, it was announced that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had purchased the Safer, along with a tanker undergoing refit in China to begin the first phase of the operation to remove an estimated 1.14 million barrels of crude oil. The whole operation is estimated to cost US$129 million, of which US$75 million had been received, and a further US$20 million was pledged.

In April 2023, the very large crude carrier Nautica left China to eventually store all oil offloaded from the Safer.{{cite web |author1=AFP News |title=UN Ship Due To Prevent Yemen Oil Spill Departs For Red Sea |url=https://www.ibtimes.com/un-ship-due-prevent-yemen-oil-spill-departs-red-sea-3684003 |publisher=International Business Times |access-date=8 April 2023 |date=6 April 2023}} In May 2023, a United Nations operation was initiated to extract 1.1 million barrels of oil. A specialized salvage vessel, crewed by a team of experts, successfully reached the FSO Safer.{{Cite news |date=2023-05-31 |title=UN begins salvage operation to stop catastrophic oil spill off Yemen |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65764775 |access-date=2023-05-31}}

On 12 June 2023, the UNDP announced that it had successfully obtained insurance coverage for the salvage operation,{{Cite web |title=United Nations Development Programme insures the FSO Safer operation, safeguarding against potential catastrophic environmental and humanitarian disaster |url=https://www.undp.org/press-releases/united-nations-development-programme-insures-fso-safer-operation-safeguarding-against-potential-catastrophic-environmental-and |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622030944/https://www.undp.org/press-releases/united-nations-development-programme-insures-fso-safer-operation-safeguarding-against-potential-catastrophic-environmental-and |archive-date=2023-06-22 |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=United Nations Development Programme |language=en}} which was necessary in order for it to proceed. A month later, on 15 July 2023, the Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had previously contributed €15 million to the project,{{Cite web |date=2022-09-17 |title=Additional Dutch funds to help salvage oil tanker off the Yemeni coast |url=https://www.government.nl/latest/news/2022/09/17/additional-dutch-funds-oil-tanker-yemen |access-date=2023-07-16 |website=Government.nl}} announced that Dutch salvage company Boskalis/SMIT Salvage had been given the go-ahead to head for the Yemen coast to pump oil from the derelict tanker.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-15 |title=Swift action needed to salvage oil tanker Safer and prevent a new blow to Yemen |url=https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-foreign-affairs/news/2023/07/15/swift-action-needed-to-salvage-oil-tanker-safer-and-prevent-a-new-blow-to-yemen |access-date=2023-07-16 |website=Government.nl}}

Removal began around 24 July 2023,{{cite web |title=UN Starts Removing Oil from Decaying FSO in Red Sea |url=https://www.oedigital.com/news/506768-un-starts-removing-oil-from-decaying-fso-in-red-sea |website=Offshore Engineer Magazine |language=en |date=25 July 2023}}{{cite news |url=https://grist.org/international/the-race-to-defuse-an-oil-time-bomb-disaster-threatening-the-red-sea/ |title=The race to defuse an oil ‘time bomb’ disaster threatening the Red Sea |work=Grist |first=Saqib |last=Rahim |date=25 July 2023 |access-date=29 July 2023}} and concluded on 11 August 2023.{{Cite web |last=Haq |first=Farhan |date=2023-08-11 |title=Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on removal of oil from the FSO Safer |url=https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-08-11/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-%E2%80%93-removal-of-oil-the-fso-safer%C2%A0 |access-date=2023-08-11 |website=United Nations}} The operation has not fully concluded yet, since the ship still needs to be towed away and scrapped.{{Cite web |last=Nakat |first=Ghiwa |date=2023-08-11 |title=Yemen: Collaboration triumphs to protect Red Sea, no thanks to Big Oil |url=https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/61302/yemen-red-sea-safer-oil-risk-averted-un-make-polluters-pay/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814014728/https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/61302/yemen-red-sea-safer-oil-risk-averted-un-make-polluters-pay/ |archive-date=2023-08-14 |access-date=2023-08-29 |website=Greenpeace}}{{Cite web |last=Bryce |first=Emma |date=2023-08-29 |title=The remarkable story of how Yemen's oil tanker disaster was averted by crowdfunding |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/29/the-remarkable-story-of-how-yemens-oil-tanker-disaster-was-averted-by-crowdfunding |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829150713/https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/29/the-remarkable-story-of-how-yemens-oil-tanker-disaster-was-averted-by-crowdfunding |archive-date=2023-08-29 |access-date=2023-08-29 |website=The Guardian}} Several companies have contacted the UNDP to express their interest in leading such a scrapping project, though none had been selected yet as of August 2023.{{Cite web |last=Mandra |first=Jasmina Ovcina |date=2023-08-14 |title=With the oil transfer completed, the final destination of FSO Safer remains unknown |url=https://www.offshore-energy.biz/with-the-oil-transfer-completed-the-final-destination-of-fso-safer-remains-unknown/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815042155/https://www.offshore-energy.biz/with-the-oil-transfer-completed-the-final-destination-of-fso-safer-remains-unknown/ |archive-date=2023-08-15 |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=Offshore Energy |language=en-US}} Further work on salvaging the hull has been suspended as of January 2024 due to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-23 |title=Red Sea attacks latest threat to Yemen's decaying oil tanker |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240123-red-sea-attacks-latest-threat-to-yemen-s-decaying-oil-tanker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123113939/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240123-red-sea-attacks-latest-threat-to-yemen-s-decaying-oil-tanker |archive-date=2024-01-23 |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=France 24 |language=en}}

• FSO Nabarima

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:683733/mmsi:473111194/imo:7376472/vessel:SAFER FSO Safer] at MarineTraffic

{{DEFAULTSORT:Safer}}

Category:1976 ships

Category:Floating production storage and offloading vessels

Category:History of the Red Sea

Category:Ships built by Hitachi Zosen Corporation

Category:United Nations Development Programme

Category:Yemeni civil war (2014–present)

Category:History of the Houthis