Andaman Skies transfers its 767,000 barrel cargo of Russian Varandey crude to the Ozano
Aging tanker loaded with Russian oil transferring cargo at sea after India ban, Reuters reports
An aging tanker banned from docking in India is transferring its cargo of Russian oil at sea, Reuters reported on April 4, citing sources and ship tracking data.
The 20-year-old Andaman Skies was last week barred from entering the Indian port of Vadinar due to safety concerns over its seaworthiness.It is now transferring around 100,000 metric tonnes of oil sold by Russia’s Lukoil to two other ships, the Sao Tome and the Ozanno.
India :A key buyer of Russian oil
Following the sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has been seeking new markets for its fossil fuels. India has become a key buyer of Russian oil, second only to China.A Russian oil shipment, which had been on a vessel denied entry by Indian port authorities, is being transferred to another tanker, according to ship tracking data. This suggests that traders are finding ways to circumvent regulatory hurdles to continue transporting critical cargoes.
Related :U.S. Slaps Sanctions on Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 Project
Dozens of sanctioned vessels
Multiple tankers carrying Russian crude have been unable to land in Indian ports in recent months in connection to sanctions.According to Bloomberg, dozens of sanctioned vessels are now idling in numbers not seen since 2017.
Related :U.S Sanctions On Russian Tankers Still Under Construction
Restrictions against Russian oil
The U.S. has been tightening its restrictions against Russian oil since last October, sanctioning around 40 oil tankers involved in the trade. Russia’s largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, came under fresh sanctions in February for violating the $60-per-barrel price cap.
Using ” Shadow Fleet ” 2023
Towards the end of 2023, Group of Seven (G7) countries vowed to step up enforcement of the price cap, first implemented in December 2022, after reports emerged that Russia has continued to ship out much of its crude above $60 per barrel by using a “ghost fleet” of mostly uninsured tankers
Related :German authorities have seized the oil tanker EVENTIN
 The major buyers of Russian seaborne oil
India was among the major buyers of Russian seaborne oil after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to Western countries imposing multiple rounds of sanctions on Moscow. Since then, traders have been finding ways to circumvent the obstacles posed by US sanctions by concealing the connection of vessels or shipments to sanctioned entities.
The problems faced by Andaman Skies
However, the problems faced by Andaman Skies, which is not on the US sanctions list but has been subject to UK and EU sanctions, appear to be more minor and limited to a lack of the necessary documentation to enter the port.
The vessel was stopped off the coast of Mumbai about two weeks ago after being denied entry to the port, apparently seeking a way to unload the Varandi crude it had loaded from the port of Murmansk.
ANDAMAN SKIES
ANDAMAN SKIES the Aframax-class tanker, Ozano, was built in 2008 and recently loaded a 730,000-barrel cargo of Urals crude at Primorsk,, sailing at a speed of 12.0 knots and expected to arrive there on Apr 8, 18:00. The vessel ANDAMAN SKIES (IMO 9288693, MMSI 677088100) is a Crude Oil Tanker built in 2004 (21 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Tanzania according to Vessel Finder
