oil and gas operations in the region. On 1 February 2013, Transport Canada announced that on 31 January, Atlantic Hawk had successfully gained control of Lyubov Orlova. Once in international waters, Transport Canada decided to cut her loose. "The Lyubov Orlova no longer poses a threat to the safety of offshore oil installations, their personnel or the marine environment. The vessel has drifted into international waters and given current patterns and predominant winds, it is very unlikely that the vessel will re-enter waters under Canadian jurisdiction," the department said in a statement, giving safety concerns as their reason for not pursuing a salvage operation. The ship was located on 4 February, approximately 250 nautical miles east of St. John's, (approximately 50 nautical miles outside Canada's territorial waters) and drifting in a northeasterly direction. She could have ended up almost anywhere from the Norwegian Arctic to western Africa, or stuck in the middle of the North Atlantic Gyre. Transport Canada reiterated that the owner of the vessel remained responsible for her movements, and measures had been taken to monitor the position of the drifting ship. On 23 February, according to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Lyubov Orlova was spotted at roughly 1,300 nautical miles from the Irish coast. A week later, the ship was the subject of news reports in Ireland and Iceland, and a caution to smaller vessels was issued. On 1 March, Irish media reported that a signal from the vessel's emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was received from 700 nautical miles off the Kerry coast, still in international waters. An EPIRB starts transmitting only when the device is exposed to water, leading experts to speculate that the ship may have sunk. The Irish Air Corps was expected to continue to monitor the region. A review published in October 2013 cites the receipt of two EPIRB distress signals from Lyubov Orlova in mid-ocean, one on 23 February and another on 12 March. Route September 2010–23 January 2013, St John's, Newfoundland harbour, 24 January 2013: tow lost 1 February 2013: second tow secured c. 7 February 2013: tow cut loose in international waters 23 February 2013: spotted from Ireland The ship is believed to have sunk in international waters after the EPIRB distress signals were activated in early 2013. Tabloid speculation In January 2014, there was speculation based on an interview with a salvager in the British tabloid The Sun that