Missing tugboat 'Solo Creed' resurfaces in Angola after $23 million oil spill in Tobago

On February 7, 2024, an unidentified oil tanker ran aground on the coast of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, spilling oil onto beaches, coral reefs and mangroves. Bellingcat previously identified the tanker as the barge “Gulfstream,” which was pulled by a tugboat named Solo Creed. We followed its journey via satellite imagery as it sailed from Panama to a location off a Petrolas de Venezuela (PDVSA) port in northern Venezuela, where it remained “in darkness” for several days by turning off his automated identification system (AIS) tracking transponder.

Bellingcat and the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian used open sources and maritime records to show that the Solo Creed was owned by individuals linked to Melaj Offshore Corporation, a Panamanian company with a history of shipping Venezuelan oil. However, when contacted by Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian, Augustine Jackson, a Melaj officer, claimed that the tugboat was sold in August 2023 to a man named Abraham Olalekan and was on its way to Nigeria.

Since then, there has been no further news from the ship.

But information released by the Angolan Navy on May 11, 2024 indicates that the Solo Creed was seized off the coast of the African nation's capital, Luanda, for unauthorized violation of its so-called offshore oil security perimeter. Although the Solo Creed has not activated its AIS location broadcast since nightfall on February 5, Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian were able to verify the current location of the Solo Creed using satellite imagery.

On May 11, 2024, the tugboat Solo Creed was immobilized by the Angolan Navy for violating the security perimeter of oil extraction blocks 17 and 18. These exclusive zones are operated by subsidiaries of BP and TotalEnergies, according to published announcements on company websites.

A report from the Angola Press news agency provides information on Solo Creed's activities at the time of the arrest.

“Speaking to the press, Angolan Navy Commander Divaldo Fonseca said the occupants of the ship claimed they intended to restock water and supplies, but without the proper authorization. […] Divaldo Fonseca reiterated the commitment of the Angolan Navy to continue developing actions to guarantee the inviolability of national waters.

In recent years, the maritime border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo has been controversial. Although neither blocks 17 nor 18 are located in disputed waters, several blocks to the north are.

A video report from RTP África showed Solo Creed following his arrest. Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian geolocated this video to Luanda, where the ship appears to be anchored in Luanda Bay.

A high-resolution satellite image captured on May 18, 2024, commissioned by Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian, further corroborates this. A ship matching the appearance of the Solo Creed in previous satellite images is visible at the location seen in the RTP África video.

PlanetScope images show that the Solo Creed arrived between May 9 and 16 and was still present on May 25.

The Solo Creed has not been seen in satellite or ground imagery since February 5, 2024, when it turned off its AIS tracking transponder. New images of the tug show that although it has not changed its IMO registration number, its name appears to have been changed to simply 'SC'.

Although the Solo Creed's arrest was reported by local media in Angola, reports did not mention the ship's role in the oil spill that occurred three months earlier. On Thursday, May 23, the Trinidad and Tobago government appeared to realize the link. A press release was issued by the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries requesting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CARICOM to open communication with Angola. The document acknowledged the detention but said the government was trying to verify the location of the Solo Creed.

The oil spill, which started in Tobago but spread to Bonaire, has an estimated clean-up cost of US$23.5 million, according to the Trinidad and Tobago government in a report submitted to the International Fund compensation for oil pollution.

No insurer has yet been identified for the Solo Creed and Gulfstream, and no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the damage.

Bellingcat and the T&T Guardian previously reported a conversation with the alleged current owner of the Solo Creed, Abraham Olalekan. Contacted for comment, Olalekan denied that the Solo Creed had been seized by the Angolan navy. He further claimed to have been in communication with the Trinidad and Tobago government and reiterated that “the barge has no insurance to help” deal with the oil spill.

Lotte van de Waal and members of the Bellingcat Discord community contributed research for this story.

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