File Photo: Eng. Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
In a statement, the petroleum ministry said the vessel was not part of any contract to supply LNG to Egypt, dismissing reports suggesting it was bound for the country as “completely false”.
The clarification followed an incident involving an LNG carrier in the Mediterranean off Libya’s coast earlier on Wednesday.
The episode triggered speculation on social media that the tanker was en route to Egypt.
The ministry urged media outlets to verify information through official sources before publishing reports. It added that it reserves the right to take legal action against those spreading inaccurate information that could harm national interests.
Egypt operates LNG export and import facilities on its northern coast, including terminals at Idku and Damietta.
The Mediterranean is a key route for LNG shipments supplying European and regional markets.
Early on Wednesday, the Russian-flagged LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz reportedly sank in the Mediterranean Sea following a series of massive explosions and a catastrophic fire roughly 150 nautical miles north of Sirte, Libya.
The vessel, a 277-metre tanker carrying approximately 61,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas, is a known member of Russia’s "shadow fleet" and was under Western sanctions at the time of the incident.
While the Russian Ministry of Transport has officially labeled the sinking an "act of international terrorism," alleging a strike by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the Libyan coast, Kyiv has not yet claimed responsibility.
Fortunately, all 30 Russian crew members were rescued from a lifeboat by a nearby cargo ship and are reported safe, though the incident has sparked a diplomatic firestorm.
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