Russian officials reported that they were able to stop a dangerous methane leak from a containership docked in the northern port of Korsakov. They said the incident which had caused the evacuation of the ship and a safety perimeter around the port highlighted the importance of proper handling and shipment of dangerous cargoes.
The methane leak was reported on February 24 while the vessel Fesco Tatarstan was docked in the port handling cargo. The 8,200 dwt vessel formerly known as the JRS Corvus was only acquired by the Russian shipping company at the end of 2022 and recently introduced into their service. With a capacity of 698 TEU she is currently sailing between the ports of Vladivostok and Korsakov, Russia. The ship which was built in 2008 in China was acquired as part of a fleet expansion and modernization program for Fesco.
The ship had arrived in port on February 22 and was handling cargo when the leak was discovered on Friday. Officials from the Ministry of Emergency Situations ordered the crew of 17 aboard the ship evacuated and set up a precautionary perimeter in the port. They said five pieces of equipment and a crew of 13 were on the scene with firefighters and an ambulance also on standby.
The nearest homes were less than two-thirds of a mile from the port. However, the winds were reportedly blowing the gas into the bay.
They determined the leak was coming from a container loaded with 20 tons of the methane. The challenge however was that other containers were preventing access to the leaking gas cylinder. A specialized crew oversaw the removal of the container on February 25 until they could gain access to the gas cylinders. They were able to determine that it was a faulty valve that was leaking and stopped the leak. The container with the gas cylinder was later moved to the pier for removal to a safe zone and offloading.
The crew was permitted to reboard the Fesco Tatarstan on February 25 and the vessel later departed for its return voyage to Vladivostok.
