Tanker with Russian oil Photo: Garry2014 / Shutterstock
Following the introduction of a new package of US sanctions on 10 January, nearly 65 oil tankers carrying Russian oil have stopped in various parts of the world. According to Reuters, the vessels have anchored off Chinese ports, in Singapore, the Baltic Sea and the Russian Far East.
The US Treasury Department’s sanctions are aimed at Gazprom Neft, Surgutneftegaz and 183 vessels transporting Russian oil. The purpose of the sanctions is to limit the financial flows used by the Kremlin to wage war against Ukraine.
According to MarineTraffic and LSEG, there are five tankers near Chinese ports alone, and another seven in Singapore. At the same time, China’s Shandong Port Group has banned access to its ports for tankers under sanctions, even before the official introduction of US measures.
Analysts estimate that about 10% of the world’s oil tanker fleet is affected by the sanctions. This creates problems in the chartering market, as some customers have already faced a shortage of available vessels.
