Strait of Hormuz – U.S. Navy Ship Collides with Japanese Tanker

A Japanese oil tanker, M/V Otowasan, collided with a U.S. Navy ship near the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Sunday, August 12, 2012, Reuters reports.

According to Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet spokesman Lieutenant Greg Raelson the collision was not combat-related and overall damage to the ship is being evaluated, he said.

No one was injured and shipping traffic in the waterway was not affected.

There is no reports of oil spills or leakage.

Strait of Hormuz is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world’s most strategically-important choke points. At its narrowest, the strait is 21 nautical miles (39 km) wide.

Through Strait of Hormuz passes 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil exports.

[mappress]
World Maritime News Staff, August 12, 2012