On Friday the Greek operator indicated it continues to believe that the 74,998-dwtKerala (built 2009) was hijacked by pirates.

In a statement it said it is working with “relevant authorities and agencies” to establish communication with the ship and “ascertain its condition”.

The company was also quick to point out that management remains “committed to the safety” of the crew and the environment in addition to the vessel itself.

The product tanker made international headlines earlier this week in the wake of reports that it may have been taken by pirates.

Dynacom says communication with the vessel has been lost since 18 January but has not commented on how many crew members were on board when it vanished.

Angolan state oil firm Sonangol, however, has since come forward as the charterer of the Kerala and claims there are 27 seafarers on board.

Bruce Paulsen, an attorney who specialises in the legal aspects of piracy, says he was surprised to learn about a suspected attack this far south but noted the geography of the region could make it difficult to locate the Kerala even though it is relatively large ship.

“It is possible to hide ships off West Africa,” he explained in a brief interview with TradeWinds Friday evening. “Shipowners in default on their mortgages used to hide vessels there with some regularity to avoid creditors.”

Experts weigh in

Paulsen, a partner at US law firm Seward & Kissel, says there’s a strong chance that Dynacom or its response consultants will hear from the vessel within a matter of days if it has been hijacked by pirates who are seeking a ransom.

“Blackout periods are intended to make the owner sweat,” he said. “When pirates take ships there is often an immediate indication of an attack and then a period of silence. In Somalia this has been a standard operating procedure intended to scare the owners and families.”

Paulsen admits it’s too early to determine whether the disappearance of the Kerala is indicative of an emerging trend. While there has been a surge in attacks in the oil rich waters off West Africa, most incidents have taken place well north of where the ship vanished.

A recent report by the International Maritime Bureau highlighted more than 40 attacks in the region during the first three quarters of last year with 132 crew taken hostage and seven vessels hijacked.

The Gulf of Guinea accounted for all of the crew kidnappings worldwide. Nigeria, the main source of piracy off West Africa, accounted for 29 incidents, including two hijackings, 11 boardings, 13 vessels fired upon and three attempted attacks.

Background

As we reported the Dynacom is no stranger to piracy. Its 157,000-dwt suezmax tanker Smyrni was hijacked in May 2012 and remains the last ship successfully taken by Somali pirates.

Like many owners whose shares are publicly traded, affiliate Dynagas LNG Partners warned investors about the risks associated with piracy when it lined up a New York listing last year but did not single out West Africa as an area of concern.

“Since 2008, the frequency of piracy incidents against commercial shipping vessels has increased significantly, particularly in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia,” it wrote in the risk section of a prospectus filed back in October.

Sonangol says the Angolan coast guard is among the agencies that are searching for the Kerala, which loaded a cargo of diesel for Sonangol Shipping at the port of Luanda before it went missing nearly a week ago.

The Kerala, which has been trading in the region for several years, is flagged in Liberia, classed by Bureau Veritas and maintains protection-and-indemnity coverage with the Standard P&I Club, according to the Equasis database.