Midia Marine Terminal pledges transparent cooperation in Astana tugboat sinking investigation
Company Midia Marine Terminal said it will provide authorities with all necessary information 'in a transparent manner' to help clarify the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the tugboat Astana in Midia Port.
'Our priority right now is to recover our colleagues who are still missing at sea, as soon as weather conditions allow search operations to resume safely. At the same time, we are supporting the families of our colleagues and fully cooperating with the authorities. An investigation is under way, and the company is providing all required information, transparently, to help determine the circumstances of the incident,' the company said in a statement.
According to the operator, the vessel was authorized for all types of operations at the offshore terminal and had taken part in hundreds of such missions, including assisting large-tonnage oil tankers (Aframax class) at the terminal located 8.6 km offshore.
Built in 2006, the tugboat had undergone several recertification and overhaul procedures, the most recent in June 2025, when all required safety-related work was completed. The latest inspection for maintaining its class certificate, carried out by Bureau Veritas, took place on January 16, 2026. The Romanian Naval Authority also inspected the vessel on September 10, 2025, certifying all mechanical and technical components.
The company said it has set up a permanent crisis management team to ensure continuous monitoring of the situation and to coordinate rescue efforts with the authorities.
According to the Petromidia Refinery, the tugboat sank around 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday while assisting an oil tanker at the offshore terminal. After the alert was issued, several intervention teams were deployed. One crew member was brought ashore shortly after the sinking but was declared dead despite resuscitation attempts. Military divers later recovered a second body, while three sailors remain missing.
The investigation into the causes of the shipwreck is being led by prosecutors from the Constanta Court's Prosecutor's Office.
Rompetrol has owned and operated the marine terminal off the Black Sea since 2008, supplying the refinery directly. Midia Marine Terminal manages the facility and the group's entire crude oil supply and storage chain. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)
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