Libya’s National Oil Corporation Hires Specialist Firm to Intercept Damaged Russian LNG Tanker Drifting Toward Coast

Libya’s NOC contracts a specialist firm to tow the damaged Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz, avoiding a potential ecological disaster in the Mediterranean.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 23, 2026, 5:41 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Arab Weekly

NOC Coordinates with Eni to Avert Mediterranean Ecological Catastrophe

Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced on Monday that it has secured a contract with a specialist salvage firm to handle the Arctic Metagaz, a damaged Russian LNG tanker currently drifting toward the Libyan shoreline. The operation is being conducted in close collaboration with the Italian energy group Eni and Mellitah Oil and Gas. The NOC has assured international observers that managing the environmental threat is "fully achievable" and that the vessel will be safely towed to a designated Libyan port to prevent any impact on the country's coastal oil facilities.

EU Nations Warn of Imminent Risk to Mediterranean Biodiversity

The drifting tanker has become a focal point of diplomatic and environmental concern. Last week, nine southern European Union members—including Italy, France, and Spain—penned an urgent letter to the European Commission warning that the Arctic Metagaz poses an "imminent and serious risk" of a major ecological disaster. Environmental advocacy group WWF echoed these concerns, stating that any fuel or LNG spill could lead to long-lasting pollution in one of the Mediterranean basin's most biodiverse areas. The NOC has responded by taking preliminary measures to stabilize the ship and reduce the immediate risk of leakage.

Unmanned "Shadow Fleet" Vessel Disabled by Suspected Drone Strike

The Arctic Metagaz has been unmanned since early March 2026, following a series of explosions. According to Russia’s transport ministry, the ship was targeted by Ukrainian naval drones while transiting the Mediterranean with a cargo of fuel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) bound for Egypt from Murmansk. Russia has accused Ukraine of attempted sabotage, while the vessel itself was already under US and EU sanctions as a suspected member of Russia’s "shadow fleet"—a network of ships used to bypass international sanctions on Russian energy exports.