SBMA tells ship crew: Stay on board
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The transfer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via ship-to-ship (STS) resumed here but the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) still prohibits crew disembarkation as part of safety protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SBMA chair and administrator Wilma Eisma said they will not allow the officers and crewmembers of the LNG/C Methane Shirley Elisabeth, Filipinos or not, to disembark during its two-week operation in the freeport.
The LNG/C Methane Shirley Elisabeth tanker transfers LNG cargo to smaller feeder ships.
Eisma said the order also applies to crewmembers of feeder vessels.
“No one from the ship can be allowed to come ashore, not even the 16 Filipinos among the 31 crew members, because of the health measures we must observe,” Eisma said.
She added that the restarting of the operation of the LNG ship-to-ship transfer will help boost the economy in the freeport. But the health and safety of the crew, port personnel and residents are equally important.
SBMA seaport manager Jerome Martinez said LNG/C Methane Shirley Elisabeth has a gross tonnage of 95,753 tons and carrying capacity of 142,800 cubic meters of liquid gas.
No one from the ship can be allowed to come ashore, not even the 16 Filipinos among the 31 crew members, because of health measures.
The Bermuda-flagged carrier came from Qatar and stopped at a Hong Kong port to pick up three mooring masters before proceeding to Subic.
Aside from the 16 Filipinos, 15 foreign nationals are aboard the vessel — nine Greeks, two Croatians, two Ukrainians, a Romanian and a Latvian.
Upon arrival at the anchorage area outside the bay, a team from the Bureau of Quarantine boarded the tanker for health inspections and safety protocols, followed by a boarding party composed of personnel from the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration.
Another LNG carrier, the Singaporea-flagged LNG/C Lerici, will also conduct STS transfer in Subic.