Teekay LNG’s carrier has managed to evade an attack by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, according to reports by maritime security firms.
Madrid Spirit was heading south from Nigeria on February 8 when it was approached and attacked by a speedboat with several perpetrators onboard, Italian risk consultancy Praesidium International said.
The incident took place around 1658 UTC, some 47 nautical miles south-west of Sao Tome Island.
Moreover, Praesidium says that the pirates fired shots at the vessel but it did not reveal any further information.
Another report by Dryad Global says that the LNG carrier evaded the attack and continued its voyage. The UK-based maritime security firm issued a warning for vessels within the Gulf of Guinea as a hijacked Chinese fishing vessel attacked several vessels in the area.
Reporting indicates that pirates are using the Gabon-flagged fishing vessel Lianpengyu 809 as a mother vessel to attack other ships in the area, including the attack on Madrid Spirit, it said.
VesselsValue shipping data also shows the laden LNG carrier continued its journey south but the vessel did not report its final destination.
Teekay LNG fully owns the 2004-built Spanish-flagged Madrid Spirit. The vessel has a capacity of 135,423 cubic meters.