ASRY Chief Executive Chris Potter told reporters that in principle the owners would decide whether the vessel should be sent to India for ship breaking or may be in Bahrain.
On June 26th the vessel was towed to ASRY for repair following the permission by the General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP).
The vessel, a Liberian chemical tanker, caught fire in the early hours of March 15th, 2012, North of Bahrain. The GOP has conducted a full risk assessment of the situation, and is in continuous contact with all concerned parties, including the Bahrain Coast Guard and the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife (PMEW), the vessel’s Flag State regulator – Bureau of Maritime Affairs – Liberia, in order to ensure that the vessel is towed to Bahrain as per the approved plan.
Prior to the commencement of the tow operation, the GOP had submitted a plan of action for approval by representatives from Bahrain’s Environmental Affairs and the Bahrain Coast Guard, after which the matter was presented to the National Committee for the Combating of Disasters and other concerned parties for their approvals. The decision to provide refuge for the ship followed a period of intense preparation for the potential transit of the vessel into and through Bahrain’s territorial waters.
The vessel, under Liberian flag and owned by Stolt Nielssen was carrying 13,000 tonnes of chemicals on board. In addition, it also had 430 tonnes of diesel on board, when Stolt Valour caught fire off the coast of Al Jubail while sailing from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.