The 301,963-dwt Armada Ali (ex: Osprey, built 1999) was conducting ship to ship transfer when three men with knives and metal rods boarded the vessel in the early hours of Monday morning.
However the robbers fled from the Marshall Islands-flagged ship empty handed when confronted by the crew, according to Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).
A total of seven incidents were reported in the vicinity of Pulau Nipah so far this year, all of them involving tankers at anchor, ReCaap says.
However, the organisation says there is no substantial evidence that the robbers are specifically targeting tankers and has urged all ships in the area to be vigilant.
This is the third reported attack in Nipah already this month following incidents on 11 and 16 September.
Malaysian offshore vessel and FPSO owner Bumi Armada bought the Armada Ali as the Osprey from a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Samco Shipholding for $29.7m in October last year.
The vessel is thought to be nearing the end of a six-month period deal with Core for storage but is expected to eventually be converted to an FPSO.
