Pirates? Terrorists? You make the call.
gCaptain reports that just months after arriving on location, the Petrobras-owned Ocean Rig Poseidon was recently attacked while drilling for oil off the coast of Tanzania, Africa.
Officially, Tanzania's Registrar of Ships released this statement:
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre has received reports of an attack on an exploration vessel known as the Ocean Rig Poseidon.
According to gCaptain, seven pirates aboard a small boat attacked the massive drillship with "weapons." Poseidon's security personnel, along with the Tanzanian Navy, responded by returning fire. The pirates were reportedly subdued and arrested on the spot. The attack came less than a week after Shell agreed to purchase a 50-percent share of the wells drilled by the Poseidon crew.
Taking control of the ship and seeking ransom was the likely goal of the pirates, but heightened security off Tanzania's coast meant that the seven individuals aboard the boat stood little chance of accomplishing their risky, unlawful task. You see, the Tanzanian government escorts vessels that request security while exploring for oil in or near its water and Poseidon seems to be one of the vessels that takes to the seas with a military escort. Looks like drilling for oil off Africa's coast is a bit riskier than some might've thought.
