Stricken ship misses two North Sea gas platforms

LONDON, Jan 12 (Reuters) A cargo ship adrift in a stormy North Sea narrowly missed a second gas platform early today, the British coastguard said.

''The good news is that the vehicle has missed the platform,'' a spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said, referring to the unmanned Caister structure operated by ConocoPhillips.

The stricken vessel, Vindo, missed the platform by just 800 yards (730 metres) at a few minutes past midnight (0530 hrs IST), having floated past another installation, Murdoch, a couple of hours earlier.

Both platforms lie in the southern North Sea about 43 miles off Britain's east coast.

The Murdoch gas platform had been evacuated as a precaution and production halted.

The Vindo, carrying 4,200 tonnes of fertiliser and registered in Antigua and Barbuda, was drifting free from other gas platforms for now and the nine-strong crew onboard were still trying to start its engine, the spokeswoman said.

A tug had been dispatched to help tow the vessel and would be with it at about 1430 hrs IST.

Reuters AD VP0740