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Sanctioned tanker in limbo off India

The 'NS Century', sanctioned by the USA, was floating about 1,600 miles from the port of Vadinar, where it was due to unload as New Delhi grapples with a dilemma over whether to let the vessel dock. The longer it drifts, the more it underscores the challenge that India faces as it seeks to import cheap Russian crude, and at the same time avoid the risk of damaging ties with the US. Any sign that the US can impede Russia’s capacity to deliver its own oil would concern the Kremlin, which has amassed a large fleet of vessels to work around Group of Seven sanctions following the war in Ukraine. The 'NS Century' sailed from Yeosu in late October. Before it stopped, the vessel was heading to the port of Vadinar, where state-owned refiner Indian Oil Corp. has a mooring facility and Nayara Energy, which counts Rosneft as its single largest shareholder, has a refinery. The cargo didn’t belong to the refiner. India’s Directorate General of Shipping was was awaiting instructions from the government as to whether the ship would be allowed to unload its cargo. The US recently sanctioned five vessels for using Western services for the transport of oil that cost more than $60 a barrel, a price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations.

US sanctions three Sovcomflot tankers

The USA for the second time in a month is going after the oil tankers involved in the Russian oil trade as reports persisted of repeated violations of the price cap improved by the G7 and Western nations. The action included sanctions on three tankers, the ÄLigovsky Prospect' (IMO: 9256066), 'Kazan' (IMO: 9258002) and 'NS Century', but stopped short of naming Sovcomfot directly, again underscores the Treasury Department and Biden Administration’s commitment, alongside its international partners, to reducing oil revenues that the Russian government can use to bankroll the war in Ukraine. The action came just days after a report that Russia was routinely exceeding the price cap. Reports surfaced that the EU was considering having Denmark act as an enforcer checking the documentation of tankers. Denmark administers key sea lanes that are the passageway from the Baltic which accounts for as much as 60 % of Russia’s oil exports. In the latest efforts, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on three entities and identifying as blocked property the three crude oil tankers that used Price Cap Coalition service providers while carrying Russian crude oil above the coalition-agreed price cap. The targeted vessels were part of the fleet of ships Sovcomflot moved into the management of companies based in the UAE in response to the growing sanction. All the tankers are registered in Liberia and were currently in Asia, with two of them showing from their AIS that they were in Chinese ports, the 'Ligovsky Prospect' in 'Zhoushan' and the 'Kazan' at the Long Xue Shipyard, with the 'NS Century' in Vadinar. U.S. officials alleged that the vessels engaged in the export of Russian crude oil priced above $60 per barrel after the crude oil price cap took effect. They said the tankers had each used U.S.-person services while transporting the Russian-origin crude oil. As with the effort in Oct 2023, the U.S. however stopped short of directly naming Russia and Sovcomflot. They designated Kazan Shipping, Progress Shipping, and Gallion Navigation, each based in the UAE operating or having operated in the marine sector of the Russian Federation economy. The U.S. imposed the first sanctions on two tankers in mid-October as it sought to increase pressure on the price cap while the G7 also issued a statement warning the shipping industry on the tactics used for price evasion. With the price of oil however hovering around $25 above the cap Russia has been easily evading the cap. Reuters however cited data from the International Energy Agency showing a small decline of nearly 70,000 barrels per day in Russian exports. The U.S. would take further unspecified action in the coming weeks and months to increase Russia's costs. Oil remains one of the main targets in the efforts to reduce Russia’s export income.

KARELIYA 9306782

The "NS Century" was attacked by Somalian pirates around 40 miles off the Indian coast Somali pirates on Feb 16, 2011. Warning shots from armed guards on board the tanker prevented the pirates from boarding the ship. The tanker crew had observed three skiffs six miles in front of the ship and also a suspected mother ship without AIS signal which observed by radar about 17 miles ahead of the tanker. The three skiffs increased speed to 20 knots and headed directly towards the tanker. There were 6-8 people in each skiff. The tanker captain began evasive maneuvers and warned the crew. When the first skiff was about three cable lengths from the tanker, the armed guards gave warning shots forcing the motor boats to suspend their attacks and return to the suspected pirate mother ship. It is the first time that Somali pirates have struck so close to the Indian coast.