Operations at the Trans-Panama pipeline were heard unaffected Monday after the 2018-build Hong Kong-flagged VLCC New Assurance, owned by Chinese Merchants Energy Shipping Co., collided Saturday with Pier N 2 of the Pacific Terminal of Petroterminal de Panama S.A., while performing docking maneuvers.
As a consequence of the incident, the ship's forepeak tank, which is a void space, was breached in the portside area of the hull, according to a statement of the manager of the New Assurance.
"There were no injuries reported, no affectation to third parties and there was no impact on marine fauna, only material damage at PTP facilities and a small spill of approximately 20 gallons, which was fully controlled," PTP said in a statement Sunday. The spill was from a PTP structure and not the ship, PTP clarified on Wednesday.
Although Pier N 2 is out of service due to the damage, operations will experience no delays, as services can still be carried out at Pier N 1, according to a source familiar with operations at the Trans-Panama pipeline. Likewise, crude transit through the pipeline, connecting the Atlantic side of Panama with the country's Pacific coast, will not be affected.
The New Assurance was last reported to have docked in Long Beach, Los Angeles, in mid-February, before heading in ballast to PTP. The ship was believed to be making a PTP-China run on a Contract of Affreightment basis by Unipec. However, no confirmation was available by the possible charterer Monday.
Unipec holds the majority of spot market business for VLCCs booked out of the terminal, according to S&P Global Platts fixture logs. The New Assurance was last booked for a PTP-China run by the Chinese charterer on January 9, 2019, set to load January 18-21.
