(Trinidad Guardian)
In collaboration with Bellingcat: Logan Williams, Thomas Bordeaux, Lotte van de Waal and members of the Bellingcat Discord community.
Just over 100 days since the Solo Creed, the tugboat behind the oil spill off the Cove coast in Tobago abandoned the barge it was towing, the Gulfstream—after it got stuck in a reef spilling hundreds of barrels of bunker fuel along the coast—it was seized in Luanda, Angola.
Since February 5, the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) location broadcast has been switched off, and two days later, on February 7, fuel began leaking from the overturned, clearly abandoned barge.
However, on May 11, the Angolan Navy reported that the Solo Creed was seized off the coast of the African nation’s capital city, Luanda, for unauthorised breach of its claimed offshore oil security perimeter of oil extraction blocks 17 and 18.
These exclusive zones are operated by subsidiaries of BP and Total Energies, according to announcements on the companies’ websites.
While little information was released following the detainment, according to a report by the Angola Press News Agency, Angolan Navy commander Divaldo Fonseca said that “the vessel’s occupants claimed that they intended to resupply with water and supplies but without the appropriate authorisation. Divaldo Fonseca reiterated the commitment of the Angolan Navy to continue developing actions to guarantee the inviolability of national waters.”
Bellingcat was able to verify the current location of the Solo Creed using satellite imagery following video footage posted by a news report from RTP Africa after it was detained.
The Solo Creed was geolocated in this video to Luanda, where the ship appears to be at anchor in Luanda Bay. (See images).
Despite the detainment of the Solo Creed being reported in local media in Angola, the news reports did not mention the ship’s role in the oil spill in Tobago.
Last Thursday, in a press statement, Energy Minister Stuart Young said the Government had received information that the Solo Creed was detained in Angola.
Young said he requested that official correspondence be sent via the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and the Maritime Services Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport to Angolan authorities to verify certain information that has come to hand.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard is also assisting in the exercise to verify the location of the ‘Solo Creed’. The Government is committed to continuing its pursuit of those responsible for the oil spill in Tobago and will continue to keep the public informed of material developments,” the statement said.
No insurance on boats
The Government maintains that no insurer has yet been identified for the Solo Creed and Gulfstream, and no owner has come forward to claim responsibility for the damage.
In an exclusive investigation by Guardian Media and Bellingcat, the registered owner of the Solo Creed was identified as Melissa Rona Gonzalez, an officer of Melaj Offshore Corporation whose principal owner is Augustine Jackson. Jackson has a history of involvement in oil deals in Venezuela and Guyana. But when contacted, Jackson claimed that the Solo Creed and the barge Gulfstream had been sold to Abraham Olalekan of Nigeria.
Olalekan has since laid claim to both vessels, and in March, he said the Solo Creed was bound for Africa.
In an interview yesterday, Olalekan said, “I’m the owner and communicated with the T&T Government during the accident, so how come they are looking for the owner? And do you even understand this scenario was an accident nobody envisaged?”
When pushed further on why he stopped communication with the Government, he said, “Of course, there are correspondence between my lawyer and Trinidad Government addressing the incident, but unfortunately the barge has no insurance to help.”
IOPC claims
The oil spill, which started in Tobago and reached as far as Bonaire, has an estimated cleanup cost of US$23.5 million.
At a May 5 press conference, Young said Government was seeking funding from the UK-based International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC) to cover some of the costs it and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) incurred as a result of the oil spill.
According to the IOPC document, “Initial estimates of the cost of the response to the oil spill, inclusive of oil removal from the wreck so far, is in the region of USD23.5 million (TTD 160 million). So far it is estimated that USD 12.5 million (TTD 85 million) has been spent as of 6 April, 2024. Further costs and claims for economic losses are expected. Bulk clean-up operations were completed in March 2024, and the shoreline clean-up is expected to be completed in April 2024. The oil removal from the wreck is also expected to be completed by mid-May 2024.”
Last Thursday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said, “We started out making a claim in the estimates of approximately US$30 million. That has since been reduced to US$23 million and when all is said and done we will know what the figure is.”
But on Friday, Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said Tobago was anticipating the moment when the owner of the vessel is positively identified and that the Government may, in fact, need to revert to the US$30 million claim.
“The Prime Minister is saying US$23 million, and the Minister of Energy did say somewhat upwards of US$30 million. Twenty-three million brings us at around TT$150.4 million. Thirty million might be more ideal, but at this point, without confirmation on what we would get past compensation, it’s difficult to estimate how we would be able to move with meeting the financial requirements,” he said.
The Chief Secretary added that the THA had made a request for money from the Mid-year Budget Review to treat with oil spill clean-up, affected fisherfolk, and others in need of relief.
