The transfer of Russian crude between tankers at sea has moved away from Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, amid growing pressure from local authorities and European Union restrictions on oil transport.
No ship-to-ship transfers of the Urals grade from Russia to Ceuta have been observed since mid-April, ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. Instead, some activity has moved to the Atlantic Ocean, near Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores.
Western sanctions on Russian oil have forced the nation to find other markets, particularly in Asia, following the invasion of Ukraine last year. Meanwhile, a vast fleet of shadow tankers has emerged to move Russian crude, with an increasing number of so-called STS transfers taking place in international waters in some places.
With the increase in freight rates for smaller tankers, it has made economic sense to move the crude to larger vessels for the journey east. However, most European countries prohibit companies from facilitating transfers with Russian oil.
In early February, Spanish authorities sent a letter to local maritime service companies to remind them of the ban on providing fenders for such transfers if Russian oil is involved—or suspected of being so—even in international waters.
Since then, the activity in Ceuta has ended. A total of eight supertankers completed transits near the enclave from December to early April. A ninth, the Scorpius, received a cargo at Ceuta, then moved to Cape Verde and the Canaries to complete the remaining transfers.
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Ceuta STS Transfers Via Supertanker From December
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First name
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period
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Destination
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Lauren II
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Dec.-Jan.
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Yingkou, China
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São Paulo
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december
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Kochi, India
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Monica S
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Jan.
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Dongjiakou, China
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Natalina 7
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January-Feb.
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Qingdao
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Catherine 7
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February
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Dongjiakou
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Veronica
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March
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Yingkou
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Anshun II
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March
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Dongjiakou
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Sofia M
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March-April
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Yingkou
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After the Scorpius, two more supertankers conducted STS transfers with Ural tankers in the Atlantic Ocean, although the activity will become increasingly difficult to carry out as the hurricane season approaches in the region
The waters off Kalamata, Greece, remain the most active site for STS movement in the Urals. Greek authorities have said their scope to intervene is limited. There have also been some changes near locations such as Sohar in Oman and Sungai Linggi in Malaysia.
