Update: Hijacked Supertanker Held for Ransom
As the bizarre story involving the Saudi-owner oil tanker and the Somali pirates continues to unfold, the plot grows thicker. The Sirius Star, holding about 2 million barrels of oil, is now parked only 3 miles off the coast of Harardhere, a notorious pirate city. The pirates -- well aware that no there are no refineries in Somalia -- are apparently holding the ship's crew and cargo hostage in order to exact some kind of ransom, and negotiations are underway.The cargo is valued at $100M at today's prices, but no figures have been released as to how much the ransom could be. Unlike other recent pirate incidents like the recent capture of a Hong Kong cargo ship filled with wheat, captors in this scenario control a substance that is much more precious if refined, and extremely destructive if dumped -- so the pirates can pretty much name their price.
From what I've read, no mention has been made of the eco-terror aspects of this confrontation, but the potential for a ginormous oil spill -- intentional or otherwise -- gives the situations some very seious environmental, as well as human implications.
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