LNG Carrier Cleared for Service after Loss of Propulsion

“Suez Matthew” moored in Everett on Monday after captain of the port lifted detention order placed on the LNG tanker when it temporarily lost propulsion east of Provincetown, MA, late Saturday night.

A Liquefied Natural Gas tanker that temporarily lost propulsion about 45 miles east of Boston on Sunday has been cleared for service by local Coast Guard officials. The 920-foot tanker Suez Matthew, carrying 31 people and a full load of LNG from Trinidad, lost propulsion briefly while enroute to the port of Boston.

Propulsion was restored aboard the Suez Matthew within the hour and the tankship then executed a successful test of propulsion by 0845 hours. The vessel was then escorted by commercial tugs and a Coast Guard cutter to an anchorage in Broad Sound. There, Coast Guard marine inspectors and investigators, along with the vessel’s classification society surveyor, inspected the ship to determine why it lost propulsion.

Late Sunday evening, the captain of the port of Boston reviewed and approved the final repair certification presented by Lloyd's Register and the ship's owner, Hoegh Fleet Services "There was a comprehensive analysis of every system on board the ship as well as the crew's procedures in response to the power loss," said Cmdr. William Kelly, the acting commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston, in charge of the response. "Hoegh Fleet Services and the master and crew were extremely proactive in addressing the problem and ensuring a safe outcome."

The vessel eventually moored without incident in Everett, MA on Monday morning. According to Coast Guard sources, investigations revealed that a malfunctioning control valve had partially stuck in an open position, causing back pressure and subsequent failure of the turbo charger.