Fire Strikes Providence Dock as Tanker Unloading

According to reports, a fire broke out at a Motiva Enterprises LLC fuel terminal dock in Providence, Rhode Island, on Tuesday night, shutting the terminal. A 25,000-ton capacity Danish-flagged gasoline tanker was preparing to discharge its cargo when the fire occurred, according to a U.S. Coast Guard official. Both the Coast Guard and Motiva, a joint venture of Saudi Refining and Royal Dutch Shell's Shell Oil, said the cause of the fire was under investigation. It could not be confirmed that the blaze was caused by lightning, though officials could confirm there were storms in the area Tuesday night. The tanker Nordeuropa, owned by Norden in Denmark, suffered damage to its hydraulic pump systems and melted oil discharge hoses, the Coast Guard said.

Vessel traffic at Providence port was halted for about nine hours overnight due to the fire. The tanker did not suffer any structural damage, the company said. The tanker was towed to a safe spot for inspection before resuming its cargo discharge later. Source: Reuters