Vitol-Chartered LNG Tanker Diverted in Mediterranean After Suspected Cyberattack

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker chartered by commodity trading giant Vitol Group was diverted from its destination in Italy after its crew reported a suspected cyberattack that compromised some of the vessel's control systems, according to a Bloomberg report on Friday.

The vessel, the Vivit Africa LNG, was sailing in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas en route to Italy earlier this month when the incident occurred.

Incident Details

The tanker, which loaded its cargo at the Cameron LNG terminal in Louisiana, was approaching its destination of Rovigo, Italy, in early September when the crew lost access to some internal control systems. The captain subsequently reported a "failure in the system used to monitor cargo parameters," according to an email statement from Italian Coast Guard Captain Roberto D’Arrigo.

After the system failure, the vessel anchored off the Italian coast without unloading its cargo. According to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg, the tanker began sailing away from Italy on Wednesday, rerouting toward the port of Algeciras in Spain, near the entrance to the Mediterranean.

Investigation and Response

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The crew reported the event as a suspected cyberattack to the Korean Register, the South Korean-flagged ship's technical and safety advisor, early last week. An investigation is reportedly underway, though no information has been released regarding potential perpetrators.

Vitol Group confirmed the vessel was under its long-term charter but declined to provide further comment. The Italian Coast Guard stated it provided assistance and issued a navigational warning for other vessels to maintain a safe distance, as the cause of the system failure could not be determined.

Broader Security Concerns

This event underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure to cyber threats. The incident follows reports from late August that two other oil and gas tankers were boarded and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and FBI off the U.S. coast following similar suspected cyberattacks.

U.S. officials are now reportedly monitoring nearly 20 vessels globally for comparable threats. Such attacks on mobile assets like LNG carriers pose a direct risk to the stability of global energy supply chains, potentially affecting cargo safety, delivery schedules, and market prices.