On 4 April 2010, a South Korean owned VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), the 319, 430 tonne (DWT) supertanker, the Samho Dream, was hi-jacked by Somali pirates about 930 miles (1,500 km) south east of the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean. It was carrying a load of crude oil allegedly worth some US $170 (£106.27) million. The ship and crew were released 7 months later on 6 November 2010, and a reported ransom of US $9.5 million (£5.8 million) was paid – the highest yet for a ship hi-jacked by pirates on the high seas.