MV Sirius Star is an oil tanker owned and operated by Vela International Marine.[3] With a length overall of 1,090 feet (330 m) and a capacity of 2 million barrels (320,000 m3) of crude oil, the ship is classified as a very large crude carrier or VLCC.[3] Vela is based in the United Arab Emirates and is a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian state oil company Saudi Aramco. Sirius Star is one of Vela's 24 tankers, of which 19 are VLCCs. Since its launch, the ship has been registered under the Liberian flag and homeported in Monrovia.[1]
Sirius Star was built by the South Korean company Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The ship's construction began in October 2007 and it was launched by Huda M. Ghoson in late March of 2008.[2][1] The launching ceremony was the first in Vela's history that was performed by a Saudi woman.[4]
The ship received international attention when it was hijacked by Somali pirates on November 15, 2008, becoming the largest ship ever captured by pirates.[5][6] The ship was en route from Saudi Arabia to the United States by way of the Cape of Good Hope. At the time of the attack, it was about 450 nautical miles (520 mi/830 km) southeast of the coast of Kenya, carrying 25 crewmen and a full load of oil. The ship is estimated to be worth approximately US$148 million, the cargo is worth at least US$100 million and the ship's twenty five crewmembers continue to be held hostage onboard.
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