Murmansk Branch News

Murmansk Branch Prevents Accident in the Kola Bay

On March 23, 2016, in the morning, within the Kola Bay VTS coverage area, near the Krasnoshchelye Cape, the FSUE “Rosmorport” Murmansk Branch prevented an accident.

HC LARA motor ship under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda with a gross tonnage of almost 6,6 thousand tonnes of non-ferrous metal cargo was heading to exit from the seaport of Murmansk.

Near the Krasnoshchelye Cape the main engine stopped and vessel de-energized.

The vessel lost control, and the situation threatened to become an emergency with potentially severe environmental consequences, because near the motor ship location there was “NORD” offshore oil transshipment complex.

Due to timely and professional actions of the Murmansk Branch pilot Aleksander Savchenko, who was on board of the motor ship, in coordination with head of the duty shift of the Kola Bay VTS Igor Bannikov, they managed, with the help of a tug-boat of the Russian Navy Northern Fleet, to clear the recommended fairway for outgoing vessels and turn the vessel in the opposite direction. The implemented complex of organizational and technical measures, in the end, did not let the situation to get out of control.

The emergency motor ship was towed to anchorage near the Krasnoshchelye Cape and after rectifying of faults successfully left the seaport of Murmansk.