Tanker Crash Spills Thousands of Barrels of Jet Fuel in North Sea

On March 10, 2025, a collision occurred between the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong and the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate off the East Yorkshire coast in the North Sea. The incident resulted in the loss of over 17,500 barrels of jet fuel.

Stena Bulk Marine Services USA LLC, the owner of the Stena Immaculate, and Crowley-Stena Marine Solutions LLC, the company managing the ship, have taken legal action against MS Solong Schiffahrtsgesellschaft MBH & Co KG, a subsidiary of Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong. However, the trial of this civil claim will not be held before October 2026, as confirmed by the High Court.

In a separate development, the Solong's captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, of St Petersburg, Russia, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and is scheduled to face trial at the Old Bailey in January. Rescuers were able to save 36 people from both ships following the collision, but one sailor from the Solong, Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, was declared missing and presumed dead.