The cargo ship that was heading to Qingdao, China, carrying Vale's ores is at risk of sinking off the coast of Maranhão

This Wednesday, February 26, 100 kilometers off the coast of São Luís, in MA, the Valemax-class ore cargo ship MV Stellar Banner suffered damage to the hull and is at risk of sinking while sailing towards China. Petrobras started the Long Duration Test of the oil reservoir in deep waters of the Sergipe Basin

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The vessel was heading to Qingdao, China, with ores and suffered damage to its cargo hold on the high seas, 100 kilometers off the coast of São Luís, in MA. Water is entering the vessel.

Sources report that the captain of the vessel asked for ground support after identifying water entering its cargo compartments, which could be a possible crack in the hull. The vessel is currently undergoing an operation to avoid sinking.

According to Vale, the damage occurred on the bow after the ship left the Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal, in São Luís, Maranhão, on Monday night. Vale also informed that the damage occurred outside the access channel to the port.

So far, Vale has not reported either the volume of ore or the amount of fuel on board the ship, which has the capacity to transport up to 400 tons of ore.

The MV Stellar Banner, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, would arrive in China on April 4th. According to the website Marine Traffic, it is 340 meters long, carries 300 thousand tons of ore and was built in 2016.

The vessel was built in 2016 and is owned and operated by the South Korean company Polaris. One of the possible solutions for the ship not to sink is to look for a sand bank to try to run the vessel aground.

In a note, the mining company Vale said: "It was reported to Vale that, as a precautionary measure, the 20 crew members were safely evacuated and that the ship's captain adopted a grounding maneuver about 100 kilometers off the coast of São Luís, in Maranhão."

“As a port operator, Vale is providing technical-operational support, sending tugboats, and collaborating with maritime authorities,” said the company.