Sanctioned tankers continue to exploit Arctic route to sustain Russian oil exports to China
- At least five sanctioned ‘shadow fleet’ tankers used the Arctic route this summer to deliver Russian oil to China
- These ageing, uninsured vessels raise safety and environmental concerns in the fragile Arctic region
- The northern sea route remains active for Russian oil exports to China, with more shipments expected as demand rises
Despite tightened Western sanctions, at least five ageing ‘shadow fleet’ tankers used the Arctic route this summer to deliver Russian oil to China, raising safety and environmental concerns while highlighting the continued flow of Russian crude via alternative shipping channels
WITH the arrival of summer, at least five shadow fleet* tankers have been tracked transiting the Arctic route to deliver Russian oil to China, despite tightened Western sanctions.
All of these vessels, built between 2003 and 2010, have been blocked by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control as part of Washington’s unprecedented January 10 crackdown on Russian oil trade. Most are also subject to EU and UK sanctions.
The voyages come as concerns mount over the safety of navigation for these ageing tankers and the environmental risks they pose, particularly in the Arctic, a region with scarce infrastructure and a fragile ecosystem.
The first to depart, the 70,053 dwt, 2010-built Kirill Lavrov (IMO: 9333682), left Russia’s Murmansk on July 13 and reached Chinese waters by mid‑August, with its latest AIS destination set as Zhoushan.
Although Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel-tracking data shows no Chinese port calls by the Sovcomflot‑owned vessel yet, it recorded a change in draught from 13.6 m to 10.7 m near Dongying on August 19, after a 2.5‑day AIS gap.
According to Vortexa, the tanker discharged about 460,000 barrels of Russian Arctic crude at Dongying in Shandong province, a key Chinese refinery hub.
So‑called “dark” port calls — when a vessel switches off its AIS signal before entering and berthing at a terminal — have surged this year at Dongying, underscoring the Chinese port’s growing role in bypassing sanctions.
Kirill Lavrov then sailed south from Bohai Bay, arriving near Zhoushan on August 24, where its draught was reported to have fallen again, to 9.8 m.
The remaining four tankers have yet to reach China, though their AIS destinations all read “China for order.”
The oldest of the group is Nevskiy Prospect (IMO: 9256054), an aframax tanker built in 2003 and also owned by Sovcomflot. It departed Murmansk on August 7 and has since cleared the Bering Sea, now positioned near Ust-Kamchatsk on Russia’s eastern coast.
Vortexa data shows it is carrying 738,000 barrels of crude and is scheduled to arrive at Rizhao’s Lanshan port on September 9.
Meanwhile, Mercury (IMO: 9321706), a 15,881‑dwt tanker built in 2006 and sailing under the Gabon flag with its beneficial owner unknown, left Murmansk a day earlier. The vessel is currently in northern Japanese waters and is expected to reach Ningbo on September 6.
The Oman-flagged, 2010‑built aframax Mirabel (IMO: 9511521) also has undisclosed ownership. It is approaching the Bering Strait after departing Ust-Luga anchorage on August 5.
Vortexa data indicates it loaded 732,800 barrels of Urals crude at Primorsk and is due in Yingkou on September 12. Mirabel is no stranger to this northern route, having sailed from Murmansk to China’s Qinzhou last September before it was sanctioned.
The fifth vessel is Primavera (IMO: 9511533), a 62,504 dwt tanker also built in 2010 and sailing under the Oman flag. Primavera has just entered the Laptev Sea after leaving Primorsk on August 12 with 715,300 barrels of Urals crude. It is expected to discharge in Yingkou on September 14.
* Lloyd’s List defines a tanker as being part of the Shadow Fleet if it engages in one or more deceptive shipping practices indicating that it is involved in the facilitation of sanctioned oil cargoes from Iran, Russia or Venezuela. Or it is sanctioned for participation in sanctioned oil trades or is sanctioned for links to a company that is sanctioned for facilitating the export of sanctioned oil.
