Navigation Data Reveals Tanker ASANA's Route After Somali Pirate Hijacking in the Gulf of Aden

Misbar’s team at Al Araby TV tracked the movements of the oil and chemical tanker ASANA (IMO: 9035838) using maritime navigation data as it transited the Gulf of Aden.

The analysis comes after the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority reported that the vessel had been boarded and hijacked by Somali pirates.

Technical Specifications of ASANA

According to MarineTraffic records, ASANA is an aging oil and chemical tanker built in Germany in 1992. The vessel has a gross tonnage of approximately 10,960 tons and features a double-bottom hull designed to reduce the risk of marine pollution.

The ship currently sails under the Tanzanian flag, is officially registered in Dar es Salaam, and continues to operate commercial cargo voyages despite being more than 34 years old.

Name Changes and Maritime Identity

Historical records reveal that the vessel has repeatedly changed its identity over the years, previously operating under the names MT ASANA, PANTHER 7, and SVYATOY PETR.

Voyage Route and Suspicious Maneuvers

Analysis of the vessel's latest voyage shows that it departed Karachi, Pakistan, on June 27, 2026, with Bosaso, Somalia, listed as its declared destination.

Rather than sailing directly toward Somalia, the tanker followed an unusual route, traveling north along the Omani coast to waters off Sohar, before turning south, passing Sur, and continuing toward the Gulf of Aden.

Tracking data indicates unusual behavior beginning in the early hours of Friday, July 17, 2026. The tanker briefly increased speed by about one knot before slowing to two knots or less off the coast of Hadramout in southern Yemen. It then performed a circular maneuver, altered course south toward Somalia, and its AIS signal disappeared at approximately 13:00 UTC.

Ownership

Data from the international maritime database Equasis shows that since February 27, 2025, ASANA has been officially owned and commercially managed by EXON ENERGY INC (IMO company number 6417318), registered in the Marshall Islands at the Trust Company Complex.

Records indicate that the company owns only this single vessel, while the vessel's current flag is classified by the organization as "unknown."

An examination of the registered address using records from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) shows that the Trust Company Complex is a well-known corporate registration hub used by shipping networks. It hosts companies sanctioned by the United States for links to Iran's petrochemical sector, including HERSTEL TRADING LIMITED.

The same address also featured prominently in OFAC's July 14, 2026 sanctions update, which targeted the alleged illicit shipping network linked to Iranian businessman Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, sanctioning numerous front companies registered at the same complex, including AARE LINES, HANSA SHIPPING, and HOPE 1 SHIPPING.

Official Piracy Reports

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed in Advisory 090-26 that unauthorized armed individuals boarded the vessel and disrupted its normal operations.

The Yemeni Coast Guard Authority in Aden officially attributed the incident to Somali pirates, stating that international aerial surveillance observed only one individual near the ship's bridge, suggesting that the remaining crew members were likely being held inside the vessel.

International naval forces are currently coordinating efforts to monitor the tanker amid concerns that it could be taken into Somali ports.

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