Three oil tankers have sustained damage from unexplained blasts in separate incidents across the Mediterranean Sea within the past month, according to Reuters.
The first incident involved the Greek-operated crude oil tanker Seajewel, which experienced a one-meter inward breach below the waterline due to an explosion while at anchor near the Savona-Vado port in northern Italy on Saturday.
A second blast occurred 20 minutes later, causing no additional damage. Italian prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the Seajewel incident, as confirmed by Savona’s prosecutor to Reuters. The vessel’s operator, Athens-based Thenamaris, has not yet responded to requests for comment. Another Thenamaris-operated vessel, the crude oil tanker Seacharm, was damaged by a blast off the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in late January.
In a separate event, the Liberia-flagged chemical and products tanker Grace Ferrum was damaged off the coast of Libya in February, requiring salvage operations. On Wednesday, the Grace Ferrum’s status indicated it was not under command, according to LSEG ship tracking data. Its Cyprus-based operator, Cymare, was not immediately available for comment.
Thenamaris is a privately owned ship management company based in Athens, Greece, operating a diverse fleet of tankers and bulk carriers. Cymare is a Cyprus-based ship management company specializing in the operation of chemical and product tankers.