Libya Took the Lead on the Arctic Metagaz — Why Didn’t Malta?

Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), through its subsidiary Mellitah and in cooperation with Italy’s Eni, has contracted a specialist emergency response company to deal with the damaged Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz, which has been drifting off the Libyan coast, according to a statement issued by the NOC.

The tanker, which the NOC said is carrying liquefied gas, was reportedly damaged in recent days and has since lost control. Libyan authorities said the vessel has been gradually moving closer to the Libyan coast due to wind and wave action, raising concerns about the risk of a marine pollution incident.

In its statement, the NOC said the emergency contract was signed with a global company specialising in the management of incidents involving ships, offshore oil platforms, and similar structures that could lead to the release of oil or other hazardous cargo into the sea.

The Libyan state oil company said the move was necessary after it became clear that the vessel’s continued drift towards Libyan territorial waters posed a potential environmental threat to the country’s coastline.

The NOC said the damaged tanker could be secured and towed safely to one of Libya’s ports in coordination with the relevant authorities, particularly the Port Authority.

It added that Libya’s oil infrastructure, including offshore platforms and ports, remained safe and was not currently at risk of pollution.

The company also said it had established an emergency operations room to coordinate the response and monitor developments under the direct supervision of the NOC chairman and in coordination with the competent authorities.

The obvious question now is this: why did Malta not act in the same way? If Libya was prepared to move decisively, hire a specialised offshore emergency response company, and assume responsibility for neutralising the threat, why did Malta appear so hesitant? Why were we afraid to do the same and confront the danger ourselves? Faced with what was clearly a serious environmental and maritime risk in the central Mediterranean, Malta should not have been content to watch events unfold from the sidelines. Malta, which was directly exposed to the risks posed by a drifting and damaged gas carrier, should have had the capacity to resolve the problem.