Aging Shadow Tanker Uses STS to Second Shadow Tanker to Skirt Indian Ban

The shipper of a cargo of Russian crude oil loaded aboard a sanctioned shadow tanker has found a creative way around Indian regulations that were barring the ship from offloading. A second tanker, also sanctioned in the west and operating in the shadow fleet moving Russian crude is being used to shuttle the cargo to port.

AIS signals confirm that the tanker Ozanno (12,969 dwt) is now positioned alongside the Andaman Skies (111,000 dwt). The Andaman Skies has been stuck holding off Mumbai reports say for two weeks since it was refused entry into the port. Both Reuters and Bloomberg are citing sources in India saying that the approximately 100,000 metric tons of Russian crude is being transshipped to the second tanker and will be landed at the terminal in the coming days.

India has continued to be one of Russia’s largest oil customers with as much as 35 percent of its crude imports coming from Russia in 2024. Reuters points out that the seller is responsible for the delivery of the crude including the vessel and its insurance. Reports indicate the cargo which is nearly 800,000 barrels was purchased from Lukoil, loaded near Murmansk, Russia, and is going to the Indian Oil Corp. terminal at Vandinar, India.

The Andaman Skies built in 2004 had been making the run from Russia but ran afoul of Indian regulations when it passed the 20-year mark this year. Regulations require older vessels to have seaworthiness and safety certificates from a recognized class society, which the Andaman Skies reportedly does not have available leading port officials to say it could not dock and unload its cargo.

The vessel was sold by Delta Tankers in 2023 and entered the shadow fleet with reports it is being managed from India. The Equasis database and others including Bloomberg report the vessel is registered in Honduras, while others including Reuters say it is registered in Tanzania. The European Union and UK added it to the sanctions list but it has not been cited by the U.S. or the UN.

Coming to its rescue is the equally shadowy Ozanno, but built in 2008 it is under the 20-year mark. It is also listed as being under Indian management and currently reports registry as São Tomé and Príncipe. Equasis however lists that as a false flag. In 2024 the vessel reported registry in Barbados and in 2023 in the Cook Islands. It, too, is sanctioned by the EU and UK.

India asserts it follows international regulations in the purchase and shipping of oil. However, it only recognizes the sanctions from the United States and the United Nations, permitting these tankers to continue in the trade.