Russian tanker under sanctions docks in China to unload Russian oil - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The sanctioned Russian tanker Lisnychny Prospect docked in the Chinese port of Huanghua to unload 700,000 barrels of Russian Sokol oil, despite US sanctions against the vessel.
The sanctioned Russian tanker Livorny Prospect has docked in the Chinese port of Huanghua to unload 700,000 barrels of Russian Sokol crude oil, Reuters reports, citing two sources familiar with the situation, UNN reports.
Details
The tanker is one of six vessels carrying Sokol crude oil that India has been unable to import due to payment problems. Six of the ships were headed for China, but five of them went to sea earlier this week, shipping data showed, following new US sanctions on the Russian oil fleet.
"The Liberian-flagged ship Foundry Avenue docked Wednesday at a pier in Huanghua, near the city of Changzhou in Hebei province, which handles mainly coal and iron ore cargo, according to shipping data from analysts LSEG, Kpler and Vor," the publication reads.
It is noted that it is unclear what is preventing the remaining five vessels from unloading their cargo.
Although there are no clear rules or guidelines for ports to decide whether to allow sanctioned vessels to enter the port, port authorities fear secondary sanctions, according to trade sources.
The sources added that ports are likely to inform buyers that there are no problems with customs clearance, but will not allow them to store oil for a long time.
Addendum
The delay of the Sokol tankers is said to be the biggest disruption to Russia's oil trade since the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. The Sokol crude is a low-sulfur grade exported from the De-Kastri terminal on the Russian island of Sakhalin by Sakhalin-1 LLC, an oil company controlled by oil giant Rosneft.
Late last month, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Sovcomflot and designated 14 oil vessels, including the Livorny Prospect, as property in which Sovcomflot has an interest.
OFAC issued general licenses authorizing the offloading of crude oil and other cargo from 14 vessels within 45 days, as well as permissive operations with all other Sovcomflot tankers.
The sanctions are aimed at reducing Russia's oil revenues, which it can use to support its war in Ukraine.
