The 15,000dwt Rubis Asphalt bitumen tanker Bitu River, which was boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea offshore west Africa earlier this month, is now back in operation, the company said today.
The vessel, which began operating in 2022 as a new-build tanker in Rubis' extensive bitumen fleet, was hijacked off the west African islands of Sao Tome and Principe in early March. On 18 March, more than 10 days after the initial incident, vessel tracking agency MarineTraffic reported on X, formerly Twitter, that three armed men had boarded the tanker.
No confirmation has been received on the status and wellbeing of the crew after news reports that shots had been fired after the vessel was hijacked, and that a number of crew members had been kidnapped. Rubis Asphalt declined to comment on those matters.
MarineTraffic said that the Bitu River had been on route from Lome, Togo, to Douala, Cameroon, at the time of the attack.
Leading west African bitumen supplier Rubis operates its 30,000t capacity west African bitumen terminal hub at Lome, bringing large 30,000-40,000t cargoes — mainly from the Mediterranean — to the port where the tankers and storage facility feed smaller regional bitumen tankers including the Bitu River, whichthen supply Nigerian and other west African import terminals.
"Piracy remains an ongoing threat in the Gulf of Guinea, despite an overall decline in reported incidents in recent years," MarineTraffic said. "The region has seen several boardings, with maritime security agencies continuing to advise vessels to assess risks and engage protective measures where feasible".
