U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 8 January - 5 February 2025

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U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 15 March - 12 April 2023

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Update on tanker missing off Ivory Coast here:

The Success 9, a Singapore-flagged bunker tanker boarded by pirates off Ivory Coast on April 10, was found over the weekend with all crew reported safe.

And here:

The small oil tanker was attacked by pirates in international waters 600 kilometers (373 miles) south of the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s Army Chief of Staff Lassina Doumbia said in a statement Saturday confirming that the vessel was recovered.

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) for 28 November 2019 - 31 December 2019 and HORN OF AFRICA/GULF OF GUINEA/SOUTHEAST ASIA Weekly Piracy Update for 25 to 31 December 2019

Issues involving crimes against merchant shipping, merchant sailors, and other illicit activity at sea continue. Why?  It's the same reputed answer Willie Sutton gave to the question as to why he robbed banks, "Because that's where the money is." Given the low capture and punishment rates, it is, except for the hazards of any operation at sea, relatively low risk.

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea on Scribd

Updated: Crew Recaptures Oil Products Tanker Gone Missing in Gulf of Guinea

Ship with 22 Indian crew missing in Gulf of Guinea since Friday reports Gulf News India:

A ship carrying 22 Indian crew members and 13,500 tonnes of gasoline is still missing in the Gulf of Guinea; contact was lost in Benin on Friday, the company and India's minister of external affairs said on Sunday.
The Gulf of Guinea is increasingly becoming a target for pirates who steal cargo and demand ransoms, even as piracy incidents fall worldwide, experts say.

The Marine Express tanker, managed by Hong Kong-based Anglo-Eastern, was last seen in Benin's waters at 3.30am GMT on Friday after which contact was lost, an Anglo Eastern spokesman told Reuters.

According to MarineTraffic, Panama flagged, 28000 ton ship.

According to Hellenic Shipping News:

Anglo Eastern, managers of the 45,989 dwt oil products tanker “Marine Express”,(IMO 9403322) report that contact has been lost with the vessel which was at the Cotonou Anchorage, Benin.

Nearby map shows area in question in the red oval off Benin in the Bight of Benin, a portion of the Gulf of Guinea.

Update: Crew retakes ship:

The Anglo-Eastern company reports on Facebook that the entire 22-person crew was "safe and well," and that they even managed to keep the entire cargo of 15,120 tons of gasoline intact. The crew and captain regained control of the Marine Express tanker at 4 p.m. Singapore time on Monday, according to the Hong Kong-based company.

"A complete investigation will be carried out into the hijacking and we wish to express our gratitude to the captain and crew of the vessel and their families for their courage and fortitude in dealing with this difficult situation, as well as to all of the authorities and agencies involved," the company wrote on Facebook.
Sushma Swaraj, India's Minister of External Affairs, tweeted that "I am happy to inform that Merchant Ship Marine Express with 22 Indian nationals on board has been released."

Gulf of Guinea Sea Kidnappers and Ransom Seekers: A Suggested (Historical) Method of Dealing with Them

From A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE PYRATES

In the Times of Marius and Sylla, Rome was in her greatest Strength, yet she was so torn in Pieces by the Factions of those two great Men, that every Thing which concerned the publick Good was altogether neglected, when certain Pyrates broke out from Cicilia, a Country of Asia Minor, situate on the Coast of the Mediterranean, betwixt Syria on the East, from whence it is divided by Mount Tauris, and Armenia Minor on the West. This Beginning was mean and inconsiderable, having but two or three Ships, and a few Men, with which they cruised about the Greek Islands, taking such Ships as were very ill arm’d or weakly defended; however, by the taking of many Prizes, they soon increased in Wealth and Power: The first Action of their’s which made a Noise, was the taking of Julius Cæsar, who was as yet a Youth, and who being obliged to fly from the Cruelties of Sylla, who sought his Life, went into Bithinia, and sojourned a while with Nicomedes, King of that Country; in his Return back by Sea, he was met with, and taken, by some of these Pyrates, near the Island of Pharmacusa: These Pyrates had a barbarous Custom of tying their Prisoners Back to Back and throwing them into the Sea; but, supposing Cæsar to be some Person of a high Rank, because of his purple Robes, and the Number of his Attendants, they thought it would be more for their Profit to preserve him, in hopes of receiving a great Sum for his Ransom; therefore they told him he should have his Liberty, provided he would pay them twenty Talents, which they judg’d to be a very high Demand, in our Money, about three thousand six hundred Pounds Sterling; he smiled, and of his own Accord promised them fifty Talents; they were both pleased, and surpriz’d at his Answer, and consented that several of his Attendants should go by his Direction and raise the Money; and he was left among these Ruffians with no more than 3 Attendants. He pass’d eight and thirty Days, and seemed so little concerned or afraid, that often when he went to sleep, he used to charge them not to make a Noise, threatening, if they disturbed him, to hang them all; he also play’d at Dice with them, and sometimes wrote Verses and Dialogues, which he used to repeat, and also cause them to repeat, and if they did not praise and admire them, he would call them Beasts and Barbarians, telling them he would crucify them. They took all these as the Sallies of a juvenile Humour, and were rather diverted, than displeased at them.
At length his Attendants return’d with his Ransom, which he paid, and was discharged; he sail’d for the Port of Miletum, where, as soon as he was arriv’d, he used all his Art and Industry in fitting out a Squadron of Ships, which he equipp’d and arm’d at his own Charges; and sailing in Quest of the Pyrates, he surpriz’d them as they lay at Anchor among the Islands, and took those who had taken him before, with some others; the Money he found upon them he made Prize of, to reimburse his Charges, and he carry’d the Men to Pergamus or Troy, and there secured them in Prison: In the mean Time, he apply’d himself to Junius, then Governor of Asia, to whom it belonged to judge and determine of the Punishment of these Men; but Junius finding there was no Money to be had, answered Cæsar, that he would think at his Leisure, what was to be done with those Prisoners; Cæsar took his Leave of him, returned back to Pergamus, and commanded that the Prisoners should be brought out and executed, according to Law in that Case provided; which is taken Notice of, in a Chapter at the End of this Book, concerning the Laws in Cases of Pyracy: And thus he gave them that Punishment in Earnest, which he had often threatned them with in Jest. (emphasis added)

Image source and explanation, for which I am thankful, 20? MAKE IT 50!:

Green = Rome;
Red = Rhodes (where Julius Caesar finally arrived to study after his adventures with the pirates);
Blue = Cilicia (Where the pirates came from);
Light Blue = Pergamon (Where the pirates were brought to justice);
Black = Pontus (The nation that fought Rome several years back making Cilicia a great place for piracy!)

Stopping Gulf of Guinea Pirates: U.S. Navy and Local Navies Put Training to Use

USNS Spearhead (U.S. Navy photo)

Nice AP article about a serendipitous situation in which 4 navies joined to thwart some Gulf of Guinea pirates in "Training exercise off W. Africa becomes real-life navy drama"

Capt. Heidi Agle, the commodore, had been directing a training exercise against piracy with maritime agencies of Ghana when the hijacking provided a real-life lesson, she said in a telephone interview Friday from her base in Italy.

First word came from the French Embassy, which sent information to Agle's USNS Spearhead via Ghanaian officials and U.S. diplomats of a possible pirate ship loitering off Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

There, pirates seized the Dubai-owned MT Maximus, on lease to a South Korean company and carrying 4,700 tons of diesel fuel, on Feb. 11.

The Spearhead tracked down the hijacked Maximus, identified it and then monitored its

Area involved

progress for two days as it sailed from Ivorian into Ghanaian waters. Then Agle handed over to Ghana's Navy, which continued to shadow the ship until it entered the waters of Togo, when that country's navy took over.

Eventually, after the hijacked ship neared the waters of Sao Tome and Principe the Nigerian navy successfully assaulted the captured ship and took the ship back. One pirate died during the recapture.

The rescue was directed by Nigerian Rear Admiral Henry Babalola, who told the AP that it was made possible by a maritime agreement allowing Nigeria to patrol Sao Tome's waters.

"When we challenged them (the pirates), they said that they were in international waters" with the law of the sea on their side. But the agreement allowed the Nigerians to storm the ship after eight hours of attempted negotiations.

"International cooperation is the new mantra for maritime security," Babalola said. "We cannot go it alone."

Six pirates were captured and 18 crew members freed. Several pirates escaped with two crew members who remain hostages, Steffen said.

More about Spearhead here

Gulf of Guinea Oil "Pirates"

Over the past few months there has been much discussion of the "oil pirates" of the Gulf of Guinea who grab tankers, empty their oil cargoes and release the ships. One of the lingering questions has been what they are doing with the oil they have stolen. One fascinating possibility is reported by Benoît Faucon and Drew Hinshaw in the Wall Street Journal's "Tiny Ghana Oil Platform's Big Output Sparks Scrutiny" (which is behind a subscription block) where they report,

A small oil facility off the coast of Africa appears to be sending lots of crude to Europe, raising questions by Nigerian and U.S. authorities about whether some of it is pilfered Nigerian crude that they say is increasingly making it to global markets.

Ghana's government inaugurated the Saltpond platform back in 1978 to pump oil from an offshore field. In its heyday, the field, located seven miles off the country's coast, produced more than a million barrels a year. That has dwindled to just over 100,000 barrels over the course of 2013, according to Ghana's finance ministry.
But since last August, three tankers picked up more than 470,000 barrels from Saltpond, transporting it to an Italian refinery near the port of Genoa, according to port officials, ship-tracking services and port records.

The article notes that there are some legitimate shipments through the platform, but

The Saltpond platform, meanwhile, has been a destination for at least one vessel connected to Nigerian oil theft, according to ship-tracking services.
***
Two cargoes, unloaded in August 2013 and February 2014, carried about 340,000 barrels altogether, according to Genoa port officials. The third tanker, unloaded on April of this year, carried 132,000 barrels. Together, that's more than four times the platform's 2013 output of around 100,000 barrels, according to the Ghana government figures.

Very interesting.

Oil and money. Two parts of a formula for corruption and crooks.

More on the Saltpond Oil Field and its current operator Saltpond Offshore Producing Company Limited.

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: A Boko Haram Connection?

A CNN investigative report suggests there is in Kidnapped captain told ransoms may go to Boko Haram:

Yan St-Pierre, CEO of Modern Security Consulting Group, said his contacts believe Boko Haram, once confined strictly to the northern parts of Nigeria, is benefiting from the increase in piracy along the west coast of Africa. But the group is perhaps not directly carrying out the kidnappings itself.

"So when people are asking, is there a link between Boko Haram and piracy in Nigeria, it's not the one they usually expect it to be,'' said St-Pierre, whose firm was not involved in the Thomas case. "It's one that is not necessarily logistical and operational. It's one that is more subtle. Essentially they will probably provide personnel every now and then, but it's not a fixed structure. So we are talking more (about) providing means to wash the money, to clean it. To make sure the smuggling routes, personnel, sex slaves, drugs, weapons above all else, these pirates need weapons.

"So if Boko Haram provided the weapons in advance for example and said, 'Well we will get a cut of the ransom,' which is standard policy within these groups within the region in general, this would make absolute sense to say, well the ransom money that was paid for the captain ended up at the very least partially into Boko Haram's hands, quite probably as a payment for services delivered."

"Subtle" connections . . .

Gulf of Guinea Piracy: US and Turkey Plan Action to Assist in Beating "The World's Most Violent Pirates"

Report from Nigeria's Business Day, "US moves to curb oil theft, piracy in Gulf of Guinea"

As part of its determination to help Nigeria curb the incidence of pirate attacks and sea robbery on Nigerian bound ships, the government of United States of America, is concluding arrangements to actively assist Nigeria and her West African neighbours in line with its bi-national commission agreement with Nigerian government.

Consequent upon this, the US government has also perfected plans to hand over another warship to Nigerian Navy so as to complement the joint efforts of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Navy in the fight against illegalities in the nation’s territorial waterways.

Presenting a welcome address to the visiting Senate and House Committee members on Marine Transport in the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC at the weekend, Ade Adefuye, who disclosed that Nigeria is receiving a lot of corporation from America to boost regional and internal security challenges that are confronting the nation’s economy, said that Nigeria would before the end of May, take delivery of another warship from America to complement the NNS thunder that was given to Nigerian Navy in the past.
***
In addition to this, Gyang Pwajok, a member of the delegates, who expressed worries over the rising incidences of illegal oil bunkering as well as oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea, also solicited for the support of American Government in putting an end to the illegal act that has been eating deep into the nation’s economy.

“Nigeria needs international collaboration from countries to put an end to the

2014 GoG Piracy from IMB Live Piracy Map

existing markets for stolen oils. This is because if there is no market for stolen oil, the perpetrators of the ugly acts would have no choice other than to put an end to it. And in doing this, it would create an avenue for Nigerians to effectively enjoy the nation’s natural resources,” the senator added.

From Nigeria's Daily Independent "Turkish Navy Vows to Tackle Piracy on Nigerian Waters":

The Turkish Maritime Task Group has expressed desire to work with the Nigerian Navy personnel to tackle the criminal and unpatriotic activities and operations of pirates in Nigeria.
***
The Turkish Naval commander further disclosed that the objectives of the visit were to support the on-going efforts of these African countries in tackling piracy, contribute to the safety of sea lines of communication, conduct presence operations in oceans around the African continent.

Also, the visit will afford the Turkish Naval personnel the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions that could help in tackling piracy, maritime insecurity and other forms of criminalities in Nigeria’s maritime sector.

The Turkish Navy is also to exhibit Turkish national defence products and carry out humanitarian activities around Apapa in Lagos during the period of the visit.

Recently there has been an upsurge in reports of the violent tendency of Gulf of Guinea pirates and sea robbers. Let's look at this by going back ten years to this 2004 article: Piracy report says Nigerian waters the most deadly:

Nigerian waters were the most deadly in the world during the first half of 2004 according to a new piracy report. Analysts blame the proliferation of weapons in the oil-rich Niger Delta region where armed gangs trade stolen crude.

The Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Monday that half of the 30 deaths recorded in pirate attacks around the world between 1 January and 30 June occurred in Nigerian territorial waters.

In terms of the number of attacks, Nigeria ranked third with 13 attacks, behind Indonesia (50) and the Malacca Straits (20).

"Both the increased number of attacks in this area and the degree of violence being used is of grave concern and we will be putting pressure on the Nigerians to step up anti-piracy measures," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement.

Industry watchers, like Gbenga Olumide of oil research firm Rigs Concerns, say Nigeria's growing prominence for piracy can be traced back to oil, the country's economic lifeblood and the large-scale theft of crude oil which is sold to vessels offshore.

"The trade has in turn funded further arms procurement and been behind the spawning of a wide range of criminal activities, including sea piracy," Olumide told IRIN on Tuesday.

Now, to this 2014 report from James Bridger at USNI News, The World’s Most Violent Pirates:

West Africa is home to the world’s most violent pirates—who are now capable of overwhelming armed guards. Last month pirates killed a crewmember during an attack on German-owned oil tanker. Instead of fighting off the pirates, the embarked security team retreated to the ship’s citadel safe room.

For the shipping and insurance worlds, the widespread adoption of armed guards aboard vessels essentially “solved” Somali piracy, as no vessel employing them has been hijacked by pirates. An attempt to transfer this panacea to the pirate-prone waters of West Africa, however, has proved inadequate and ill-suited to local conditions.

On the night of April 29 pirates attacked SP Brussels about 35 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. Local security forces guarding the vessel were unable to prevent the pirates from boarding and retreated to ship’s citadel along with the crew. The guards did not emerge until the following morning, only to find that the ship’s chief engineer had been killed and another crewmember injured; they failed to reach the citadel.

That incident and others like it highlight three important issues that distinguish West African maritime crime from that in other parts of the world.

First are the distinctive operating environment, in which international naval patrols are absent; the limited response capacity of regional security forces; and the prohibition on the use of foreign armed guards.

Second is the uniquely violent nature of Nigerian pirates and their propensity to engage in shootouts with security forces.

Finally, there are the multiple shortcomings of using local armed guards aboard vessels and the inherent danger the shipping industry faces in being overly reliant on that measure.

Well, as the last article points out, to beat the pirates you need:

1.  To have adequate arms and well trained honest men sufficient to fight back;
2.  A legal and political environment that allows strong counter-pirate action;
3.  A non-corrupt counter-piracy local team in the government.

Sadly, Nigeria, and the GoG region in general, seem to lack these elements.

Further, as Gyang Pwajok stated above, you need to close out the market for stolen oil.

Without major changes, I expect that in another 10 years this blog post will be repeated.

By the way, Nigeria provides about 5% of US oil imports, Europe took 44% of Nigeria's oil exports, and is Turkey's fifth largest trade partner in Africa including natural gas and petroleum products. The impact on the people of Nigeria, according to the U.S. EIA:

Nigeria's oil and natural gas resources are the mainstay of the country's economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that oil and natural gas export revenue accounted for 96% of total export revenue in 2012. For 2013, Nigeria's budget is framed on a reference oil price of $79 per barrel, providing a wide safety margin in case of price volatility. Savings generated when oil revenues exceed budgeted revenues are placed into the Excess Crude Account (ECA), which can then be drawn down in years when oil revenues are below budget, according to the IMF.

According to this site, Nigeria ranks as the 33rd most corrupt country in the world (144/177 with #1 being least corrupt Denmark).

The other 32 must be real gems.

Pirates: Not Dead Yet

According to the Office of Naval Intelligence Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report for 27 February – 5 March 2014 there still be pirates out there attempting things:

1. (U) OMAN: On 6 March, three suspicious white skiffs approached a merchant vessel near position
22:27.1 N - 060:29.2 E, approximately 122 nm southeast of Muscat, Oman. The skiffs with two persons onboard each skiff approached the ship to within a half mile. After self protection measures were initiated by the crew, the
skiffs moved away. (NATO Shipping Centre)
2. (U) PAKISTAN: On 28 February, suspected pirates in a skiff chased an underway Bangladeshi-flagged bulk carrier, MV CRYSTAL GOLD near position 24:33 N – 062:44 E, approximately 40 nm southeast of
Gwadar, Pakistan. The pirates reportedly chased for up to four hours. The vessel took evasive measures as outlined in BMP 4, reported the incident to UKMTO, and headed towards the Pakistani coast. The Pakistani
Navy deployed a naval asset which located the skiff and detained the suspected pirates. The vessel's owners said there were 23 Bangladeshi crewmen on their vessel. (IMB, The Daily Star (Bangladesh), The New
Nation (Bangladesh)
3. (U) RED SEA: On 3 March, pirates approached an Iranian-flagged tanker near the Bab al Mandeb Strait, in the southern Red Sea. Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters that the
armed pirates attempted to attack the ship twice and that Iranian Naval forces thwarted the attacks. (Fars News Agency)

and in the Gulf of Guinea:

U) Kidnapping:
(U) NIGERIA: On 4 March at approximately 0130 local time, pirates boarded the Nigerian-flagged offshore supply vessel PRINCE JOSEPH 1 and kidnapping three crewmembers near position 04 17 N - 007 53 E,
Bight of Bonny, off Akwa Ibom State. After the pirates departed the vessel, the remaining crewmembers sailed to the port of Onne. (www.news.odin.tc)
***
(U) Vessels Fired Upon/Attempted Boardings:
(U)
NIGERIA: On 4 March, armed pirates attempted to board an underway bulk carrier near position 04:00 N–005:16 E, approximately 60 nm west-southwest of Brass. The pirates in two skiffs chased and fired upon the
vessel during the attempted boarding. The vessel raised the alarm and non-essential crew mustered in the citadel. Master increased speed, took evasive maneuvers and sent SSAS alert. Due to the hardening measures
taken by the Ship’s Master the pirates aborted the attempted attack and moved away. The vessel sustained damage due to bullets striking the accommodation area.

Also of interest is this report on the counter-piracy prowess of the remarkable Iranian

navy:

Commander of the Iranian Navy says the country’s naval forces have thwarted over 150 pirate attacks on Iranian merchant vessels and oil tankers in the past four years.

“Over the past four years, the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have escorted some 2,000 merchant vessels and freighters…and provided full security for the passage of Iranian vessels in a way that pirates have been unable to mount an attack on our ships,” Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Thursday.

He added that Iranian naval forces arrested a number of pirates in four occasions.

Simply amazing!


Hat tip to Bryan!

Gulf of Guinea Piracy: Nigeria to do something

In what appears to be a Nigerian government push to gain some control over its

national water, it is threatening to "impound" ships that fail to register their arrival therein. Or something, as reported here:

The presidential adviser told journalists that the federal government was making arrangements to ensure that vessels no longer loiter on the local water. Rather they were taking measures to observe immediate anchorage.

"If a ship is coming to Nigeria, there is no point loitering on the waters, but should come to the anchorage which is being secured by the Nigerian Navy.

"The fight against piracy is beyond shooting guns," he said.

According to Oyewole, Nigeria has been having a sustained piracy records on tanker ships and none on cargo ships, pointing out that most of the affected tankers were not even captured in the list of ships that reported their arrival into the Nigerian waters in order to perpetrate oil theft and other criminal activities.

Well, okay then.

UPDATE: The South African Navy is venturing forth to do some "naval diplomacy" along the west coast of Africa, as reported here. Nigeria is on the visit list. SAN is also doing anti-piracy work off the east coast of Africa in patrolling the Mozambique Channel.

UPDATE2: Ghana's Navy gets training:

The Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command, Commodore Godson Zowonoo says the rise in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea in recent times requires tactical approach to deal with.
***
Commodore Zowonoo said this at the closing of a two week multinational training programme for military personnel organize by the Dutch Marine Corp.

Commodore Zowonoo said the Ghana Armed Forces have the capability to deal with the threats, but was quick to add that more logistics are needed to counter the sophisticated trends in piracy.

UPDATE3: Article headline says it all, "The Steep Curve Ahead in Fighting Gulf of Guinea Piracy":

Unlike the Gulf of Aden, where US and European navy ships patrol to defend commercial shipping against Somali piracy, the Gulf of Guinea has little in the way of naval assets. Stretching from Senegal on Africa’s northwestern tip down to Congo in the south, the Gulf of Guinea spans more than a dozen countries and is a growing source of oil, cocoa and metals to the world’s markets.

While piracy has exceeded levels off Somalia’s coast, analysts say pirates have spotted a window of opportunity based on weak local maritime security structures and a rough coastline, the latter offering natural hideouts from which to mount attacks.

The Gulf of Guinea is already home to insurgency in the Niger Delta, where oil facilities are routinely attacked. Recent statistics have proven that attacks by gunmen operating in the mangrove-lined creeks of Nigeria’s Niger Delta have slashed Nigeria’s oil output by at least 20 percent and, according to specialists, driven the annual cost of oil services-related security there to US$3.5 billion.

Sixty percent of vessels that are attacked in the Gulf of Guinea do not report them to the authorities. Moreover, the fact that a distress call will not elicit a rescue by a Western warship is seen to dissuade many ship owners from reporting an attack, fearing the unwanted side-effect of seeing their insurance premiums rise or of being arrested themselves, as in the case with the MI flagged vessel and Togo.

Piracy in this particular part of the world has a far-reaching effect, deep into countries’ national territory, throughout West Africa, as well as on states and ports on the Gulf.

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Turkish-Owned Tanker Taken Off Gabon on 15 July 13

Reported as "Pirates Hijack Tanker And Crew Off West Africa Coast":

Pirates hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Gabon, West African country, on Monday.

The tanker, carrying a crew of 24 Indians, is believed to be in Nigerian waters. Nigerian officials have not yet commented.

Confirmation from the owners here:

The Turkish company Genel Denizcilik has confirmed in a statement July 17 that one of its tankers was seized off the coast of Port-Gentil in Gabon.

It also said that the MV Cotton, flying the Maltese flag, had a crew of 24, all of whom were Indian. The statement also added that the company was in touch with the crew’s families as well as the local officials.

ShipSpotting.com

© Danylo Myachyn

UPDATE 23 July 13: From Live Piracy Report: "The vessel was released on 22 July 2013 off Nigeria. All crew safe. "

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Regional Center Promised to Fight GOG Pirates

Shades of the Southeast Asia Regional Counter-Piracy Center (ReCAAP), news
headlined :

GOG Area Reported Pirate Attacks (IMB)

"African states join forces to tackle piracy"

West and central African nations have agreed to create a regional centre for co-ordinating the fight against a sharp rise in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea that is jeopardising the shipping of commodities in the region.

The Gulf of Guinea, which includes Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, is a major source of oil and cocoa and increasingly metals for world markets.

Pirate attacks in the region, mainly carried out by armed Nigerian gangs, have almost doubled from last year, jacking up insurance costs.

The main purpose of the new centre, to be based in Cameroon, will be intelligence gathering and research, according to an agreement signed at a summit of regional leaders in the Cameroonian capital Yaounde.

The regional ops center has worked well in the Strait of Malacca area.

Let's see how it goes in the GOG.

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: African Anti-Piracy Meeting

Reported as "West, Central Africa leaders meet over piracy" by Africa Review:

West and Central African leaders on Monday started a two-day summit in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on maritime security and combating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

The heads of state and government will deliberate on new proposals and a joint action plan to tackle piracy and maritime criminality in the region.
***
At the close of the summit, it is expected that the member countries will be provided with “appropriate means” to combat the phenomenon, sources said.
***
An estimated 996 pirate attacks have been recorded since 2012 on ocean-going fuel cargo vessels in the region and products transferred to pirate ships, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

The source said oil products from pirated ships are sold on the lucrative black market. The pirates are not primarily focused on seeking ransoms to release ships.

The IMB statement said that West Africa has overtaken Somalia in the reported number of both ships and seafarers attacked.

Getting together is a start to defeating the pirates.

GOG 2012 Attacks reported to the IMB

A flavor of GOG piracy from the ONI World Wide Threat to Shipping Report of 20 June 13 (images nearby are from the IMB Live Piracy Map site):

G. (U)WEST AFRICA
:
1. (U) GUINEA: On 19 June, an anchored general cargo ship was boarded at 09:14 N 013:57 W, approximately 25nm southwest of Conakry. Five pirates, armed with machine guns, boarded a general cargo ship at anchor. They threatened the crew, stole ship's cash, crew personal belongings,then escaped. All crew were reported safe. (IMB)


2. (U) TOGO: On 13 June, the anchored French-flagged chemical tanker ADOUR was hijacked at 05:41 N- 001:18 E, approximately 25 nm south of Lome. An unknown number of pirates boarded and hijacked the ship. 14 of the 15 crew members were released, one crew member was taken hostage, to ensure the pirates safe passage back to Nigeria and to potentially ransom for money. On 17 June, the vessel was released and the captive crew member was rescued unharmed, by local authorities. (TW, LSS, VesselTracker.com)


3. (U) NIGERIA: On 13 June, the Singapore-flagged underway offshore supply vessel MDPL CONTINENTAL ONE was boarded and personnel kidnapped at 04:02 N-008:02 E, approximately 7 nm southwest of the OFON Oil Field. Two fiberglass speed-boats, each with 2 outboards engines, each carrying 14 gunmen in wearing casual t-shirts and no masks, launched an attack. The pirates were armed with AK47’s. After stealing personal items and belongings, four expat crew were kidnapped (Polish (Chief Engineer) and three Indians (Captain, Chief Officer, and Bosun). (TW, OCL, SAA, Fleetmon.com, AP)


4. (U) NIGERIA: On 04 June, the Saint Vincent and Grenadines-flagged underway tug-offshore supply ship BOURBON ARETHUSE was boarded at 04:14 N-007:45 E, at the Usari Field. Pirates boarded the ship while on standby duties. Seeing the pirates, the crew raised the alarm, retreated into the citadel, alerted other vessels, and the shore based office by VHF and waited until the pirates had left. On investigation it was found that ships and crew belongings werestolen. All crew safe. (IMB, IMO, OCL, SAA)


5. (U) NIGERIA: On 04 June, the Vanuatu-flagged underway offshore supply ship C VIKING was attacked in the vicinity of 04:14 N- 007:45 E, at the Usari Field. No further reporting at thistime. (TW, SAA, AP)


6. (U) NIGERIA: On 03 June, the Marshall Islands-flagged underway chemical tanker BLUEGREEN TIGRE was fired upon at 04:42 N–008:1 9 E approximately 2.5 nm north of James Town, in the Calabar River. Ten armed robbers in two speed boats approached and fired upon the chemical tanker underway with pilot on board. Master raised alarm, mustered all crew, and reported the incident to the Nigerian Authorities. The armed robbers aborted the attack and moved away when the Nigerian Marine Police arrived on the scene. All crew are safe, but the ship sustained minor damage due to the firing. (IMB, IMO, OCL)


7. (U) NIGERIA: On 03 June, the Singapore-flagged chemical tanker RHINO was fired upon at 06:16 N–003:20 E, at the Lagos Anchorage. While at anchor, an unknown number of robbers attempted to board the vessel through the hawse pipe, via chain locker, and exchanged gunshots with the Nigerian naval personnel onboard. The general alarm was activated and the crew mustered at the designated muster station. The robbers' boat eventually left after 20 minutes. There was no injury to the crew or items stolen. (IMO , OCL)

8. (U) NIGERIA: On 24 May, the Nigeria-flagged underway chemical tanker MATRIX I was boarded and personnel kidnapped approximately 40 nm off the coast of Bayelsa state. Around seven to eight pirates armed with guns, in a boat, fired at and boarded the tanker underway. They stole ship’s and crew's belongings, kidnapped five crew members and escaped. The kidnapped crew was released safely on 07 June. (OCL, LL, Reuters, AP, IMO, IMB)

Pirates release Pakistani crew kidnapped two weeks ago off Nigeria

Reuters reports "Pirates release Pakistani crew kidnapped off Nigeria":

Pirates have released five Pakistani crew they kidnapped from an oil tanker off the Nigerian

coast two weeks ago, security sources said on Thursday.

Increasing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea region, which includes Africa's No. 1 oil producer Nigeria and is a significant source of cocoa and metals for world markets, is jacking up costs for shipping firms operating there.

Armed pirates attacked the Nigerian-flagged MT Matrix and abducted the five Pakistani crew on May 25 about 40 nautical miles off the coast of the oil-producing Bayelsa state, a stretch of water frequently plagued by armed gangs.

The two security sources said the men, who worked for an oil servicing company, were released unharmed.

There were two attacks in the Gulf of Guinea in April in which foreigners were kidnapped and released a few weeks later. Security sources believe ransoms were paid - an increasingly lucrative business for criminal gangs who used to take more interest in simply stealing the oil on board the tankers. (emphasis added)

What you pay for you will most assuredly get more of . . .

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Tanker Reportedly Hijacked Off Nigeria

Headline reads, "Fuel tanker reportedly hijacked off Nigeria coast":

Pirates hijacked a fuel tanker off the coast of Nigeria's oil-rich delta, taking Pakistani and Nigerian sailors hostage in the latest attack targeting the region, private security officials said Tuesday.

The gunmen boarded the MT Matrix I some 40 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria's Bayelsa state early Saturday morning, the officials said, taking a number of the crew hostage. It wasn't immediately known what happened to the rest of the crew. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as the Nigerian government was not speaking publicly about the hijacking.

A military spokesman in the delta referred calls for comment Tuesday to Nigeria's navy. Commodore Kabir Aliyu, a navy spokesman, said there had been no report of a hijacking made to officials.

Some shippers in the region don't report hijackings publicly, out of fears of having their insurance premiums rise.

Well, if that'st true, just how bad is the piracy off Nigeria?

Gulf of Guinea Pirates? The little mystery of the Frio Athens

On May 4, 2013, the ICC Live Piracy Report notes the following:

04.05.2013: 1135UTC: Posn: 03:49.5N - 006:41.2E, 33NM SW of Bonny River Fairway Buoy, Nigeria.
Six to eight pirates in a speed boat chased and fired upon a Refrigerated Cargo Ship underway. Vessel enforced anti-piracy measures and managed to move away. All crew safe but ship sustained minor damage due to the firing.

Ah, a failed pirate attack, it seems . . . but wait -

Here's another report on the refigerator ship Frio Athens from the Maritime Bulletin:

Greek reefer Frio Athens seems to be still under pirates control. No news from anyone with regards to Frio Athens, except warning in Notices to Mariners to keep clear of the area of the hijack, without the details of the hijacked vessel.
According to discreet positions received via satellite AIS system, during most part of May 5 vessel was drifting, in the afternoon vessel started to move in northern direction at low speed. Maritime bulletin was informed by a reader that Frio Athens may be manned by Russian crew.

. This report included references to prior Maritime Bulletin reports:

ShipSpotting.com

Frio Athens

© vovashap

Reefer Frio Athens taken by pirates to open sea?
Posted on May 5, 2013
Reefer Frio Athens, presumably hijacked by pirates on May 4 13, changed course and instead of moving to Port Harcourt moved or is still moving, in opposite direction to open sea. At 01:32 UTC or ET May 5 vessel was in position 02 20N 005 38E.
Attack news:
Greek reefer Frio Athens probably hijacked, Nigeria
Reefer Frio Athens attacked by pirates at around 13:30 LT May 4 13, in the same position where two hours earlier was attacked boxship CMA CGM Africa Four (03 35N 006 40E, some 55 nautical miles SW of Bonny). Vessel issued distress messages on VHF, after that contact was lost, no other information available. Vessel was en route from Tema to Port Harcourt. Frio Athens didn’t arrive to Harcourt, AIS is off, most probably vessel hijacked and is under pirates control.
Nationalities of the crews unknown.
Reefer Frio Athens, IMO 8710340, dwt 8800, built 1988, flag Vanuatu, manager LAVINIA CORP, Greece.

Now, a reported update from here (which refers to yet another Maritime Bulletin report and contains an editorial note):

With regards to the situation with Frio Athens:

Our company, Joint Greece – Ukraine crewing company “Seafarers Training Center” manned the vessel in question, all crew is Ukrainian. Vessel was attacked and fired upon by pirates. Thanks to Master and the crew, vessel managed to avoid pirates, nobody was hurt. Crewing company is in constant touch with the operator. Operator is doing everything possible to provide a safe passage of the vessel. Presently, vessel is maneuvering in accordance with operator’s orders.

Comment:

Let’s hope actual situation fits the information providing by crewing company, vessel and crew are safe and pirates were thwarted. Still, the question remains unanswered – why such strange movements, why vessel was adrift, why vessel didn’t steam to Port Harcourt immediately after the attack. Vessel was to arrive to Port Harcourt at 0000 May 4.

Such is the situation in Gulf of Guinea, that no one can be trusted except the crews. all other parties, including shipowners, are interested in hiding the truth.

Meanwhile, one more attack took place on May 6 at around 01:10 LT some 25 nautical miles south of Lome, Togo. An unknown vessel was attacked, but managed to avoid pirates boarding, and escaped.

Voytenko Mikhail

Pirated? Limping about while repairs are conducted? Something else?

Gulf of Guinea Pirate: U.S. Pondering Action

After several years of increasing pirate activity, now U.S. eyes action against West African pirates:

The U.S. and some of its allies are considering plans to increase anti-piracy operations along Africa's west coast, spurred on by concerns that money from the attacks is funding a Nigerian-based insurgent group that is linked to one of al-Qaida's most dangerous affiliates.

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has escalated over the past year, and senior U.S. defense and counter-piracy officials say allied leaders are weighing whether beefed up enforcement efforts that worked against pirates off the Somalia coast might also be needed in the waters off Nigeria.

Oh, goodie.

Nigeria Oil Pipeline Theft

WSJ headline, "Theft Threatens to Shut Nigeria Oil Pipeline":

Nigeria's oil industry is at a crisis point because the theft of oil from pipelines and the pollution it causes are reaching intolerable levels, costing the country and oil companies billions of dollars a year . . .

Oil theft is a long-standing issue in Nigeria, frequently leading to supply disruptions and environmental pollution when thieves drill into pipelines in order to siphon off the crude. The Nigerian government has repeatedly pledged to act aggressively to curb insecurity in the oil sector and has said that incidents of oil theft have decreased in the past year. However, Shell said the situation got worse last month.

Of course, even product at sea has not been safe, since pirates have been active in hijacking tankers and stealing their cargo as reported by the ONI here:

IVORY COAST: On 03 February the oil tanker GASCOGNE was hijacked in the vicinity of 04:07 N 003:54 W, approximately 70 nm south of Abidjan port. Twelve heavily armed pirates with guns boarded and hijacked the tanker underway. They sailed the tanker to Nigeria and stole the oil cargo and crew/ vessel valuables. On 05 February the tanker and her 17 crew members were released and proceeded to a safe port. Two crew members were injured during the incident. (IMB, IMO, TW)

UPDATE: I have just seen Martin N. Murphy's excellent article covering this topic in the latest issue of USNI Proceedings at "Africa's Leaking Wound":

Like blood from a leaking wound, the piracy that is spreading westward from Nigeria has now reached the Ivory Coast, 400 miles from its origins on the inland and coastal waters of the Niger Delta. There, and on the waters more than 100 miles off these countries’ coasts, acts of depredation against ships and fixed oil installations have resulted in far greater financial losses and had a far wider economic impact that any piracy seen so far anywhere else in the world.

Read it all.

West Africa Pirates: French tanker, 17 crew grabbed off Ivory Coast

Reported as Pirates seize French tanker, 17 crew off Ivory Coast

Suspected Nigerian pirates have hijacked a French-owned Luxembourg-flagged tanker along with its 17-member crew off Ivory Coast, Ivorian officials and the International Maritime Bureau said on Monday.

The Gulf of Guinea area is second only to the waters off Somalia for piracy and there has been a spate of violent attacks in vessels in recent days, prompting the bureau to issue a security alert for the region.

Gascogne

The Gascogne was the second vessel to be seized off Ivory Coast in less than three weeks and the first to have been taken so far from shore.

ShipSpotting.com

© Victor Cadelina, Jr.

From the ICC IMB Live Piracy Map, a couple of images of the location of this most recent attack (Map1) and the Gulf of Guinea attack this far in 2013 (Map 2):

Map 1

Map 2

An interesting comparison of West African pirates to those operating off East Africa (read Somalia) at West African piracy: different but the same…. which links to :

Reports from East African (Somali) piracy hijackings typically describe hostage situations lasting for long periods of time to negotiate ransom. One rarely hears about attempts to monetize the ship’s cargo. West African pirates, however, often target oil tankers—both to seek ransom and to discharge the liquid cargo for black-market sale. While successful capture may take days instead of months, pirates reportedly engage in more gratuitous violence while forcing crews to cooperate in vessel movement and product discharge against their will.

While government structures are stronger in West Africa compared to East Africa, alleged government and commercial corruption provide intelligence to pirates while inadequate counter-piracy laws complicate prosecution. Insufficient regional cooperation among Nigeria, Togo and Benin thwart interdiction of pirates in multi-jurisdictional waters. Since hijackings take place both within national territorial waters and beyond, the legal distinction between armed robbery and piracy complicates prosecution, too. West African piracy more resembles transnational organized crime with more sophisticated vessels and weapons compared to that of East Africa.