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Russia escapes US sanctions by shipping oil in Iranian tankers
来源：shippingazette 编辑：编辑部 发布：2023/02/15 11:15:17
IRAN has been deploying more vessels to transport Russian oil as the Western sanctions bite on Moscow's oil exports, reports Bangalore's Marine Insight.
The volume of Russia's crude shipped on the "ghost" vessels has surged to over nine million barrels by January from about three million barrels in November, according to London's Financial Times.
About 16 vessels in the "ghost" network - which has permitted Iran to evade the US sanctions - have started carrying Russia's oil over two months. Earlier, just nine tankers were shifted to Russia's route since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Russia, Venezuela, and Iran - all under US sanctions - are competing to sell oil to China and India, said a Vortexa analyst. Asia is a crucial buyer of Russia's oil as the nation invaded Ukraine in 2022, purchasing the commodity at steep discounts.
The sales have been bolstered by shipping majors, who are willing to deploy methods like ship-to-ship transfers and even going dark to minimise risks of detection.
This month, Moscow was hit with a new wave of EU sanctions on refined oil products like diesel. It is also expected to experience a new price cap on the fuel, adding to a December ban on Russian seaborne oil.
Despite a price cap on Russia's crude, G7 nations have reportedly banned other countries from accessing shipping and insurance services unless they abide by a cap on refined products.
The measure aims at limiting Moscow's ability to fund a war against Ukraine while keeping Russia's oil flowing through the global markets to prevent a shortage.
"Everyone is a sinner now," said a shipbroker. She added that the fine line between the grey and the conventional tanker market has turned out to be blurrier over the past year.
The volume of Russia's crude shipped on the "ghost" vessels has surged to over nine million barrels by January from about three million barrels in November, according to London's Financial Times.
About 16 vessels in the "ghost" network - which has permitted Iran to evade the US sanctions - have started carrying Russia's oil over two months. Earlier, just nine tankers were shifted to Russia's route since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Russia, Venezuela, and Iran - all under US sanctions - are competing to sell oil to China and India, said a Vortexa analyst. Asia is a crucial buyer of Russia's oil as the nation invaded Ukraine in 2022, purchasing the commodity at steep discounts.
The sales have been bolstered by shipping majors, who are willing to deploy methods like ship-to-ship transfers and even going dark to minimise risks of detection.
This month, Moscow was hit with a new wave of EU sanctions on refined oil products like diesel. It is also expected to experience a new price cap on the fuel, adding to a December ban on Russian seaborne oil.
Despite a price cap on Russia's crude, G7 nations have reportedly banned other countries from accessing shipping and insurance services unless they abide by a cap on refined products.
The measure aims at limiting Moscow's ability to fund a war against Ukraine while keeping Russia's oil flowing through the global markets to prevent a shortage.
"Everyone is a sinner now," said a shipbroker. She added that the fine line between the grey and the conventional tanker market has turned out to be blurrier over the past year.