FSO NABARIMA

FSO NABARIMA (IMO: 9316567) sailing under the Venezuela flag. It has an overall length of 846 feets and a beam of 171 feets.

Vessel Identification

MMSI: 775072000 IMO: 9316567 Call Sign: YYJS Vessel Type: Floating Storage and Offloading Unit (FSO) Flag State: Venezuela AIS Vessel Type: Tanker

Specifications

Gross Tonnage: 81,282 GT Deadweight Tonnage: 155,000 DWT Length Overall: 274 meters Beam: 48 meters Year Built: 2004

Propulsion

The Nabarima is a converted FSO and operates as a stationary moored unit. As a floating storage and offloading vessel, it is not self-propelled under normal operational status and relies on tugs and support vessels for any positional adjustments.

Shipyard

Builder: Hyundai Heavy Industries Country: South Korea Year Delivered: 2004

Owner / Operator

Owner: Petrosucre Operator: Petrosucre (a joint venture between Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) and Repsol) Country of Registration: Venezuela

Navigation / Communications Equipment

AIS Class: Class A Transponder AIS Status: Moored

Operating Region

The FSO Nabarima is stationed in the Paria Gulf (Gulf of Paria), located between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. It is specifically moored at the Corocoro oil field, operated by Petrosucre in Venezuelan territorial waters.

Vessel Description

The FSO Nabarima is a large Floating Storage and Offloading unit deployed at the Corocoro offshore oil field in the Gulf of Paria. The vessel receives crude oil production from subsea wells and nearby platforms, storing it until offloading to shuttle tankers for transportation to refineries or export terminals.

The Nabarima gained significant international attention beginning in 2020 when reports emerged of severe vessel deterioration, crew abandonment, structural concerns, and risk of a major oil spill. Environmental and maritime safety organizations raised alarms about the potential for a catastrophic release of hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil into the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Paria. The situation highlighted concerns about PDVSA's operational capacity under US sanctions and the broader implications for the marine environments of both Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. Remediation and stabilization efforts were undertaken following sustained diplomatic and environmental pressure.