Tankers with Russian oil refuse Danish pilots

When passing through the Danish Straits, which separate the Baltic and North Seas, tankers with Russian oil refuse the services of pilots.

From May to July, only 20% of tankers with Russian oil used the services of Danish pilots to pass through the straits. This is reported by Bloomberg. Compared to last year's figures, the share increased by 4%.

"Every day the straits are crossed by ferries and other sea transport, so navigation in them can be difficult. Sandbanks are abundant here, there are strong currents and different water depths. The use of pilots is recommended by the International Maritime Organization and has been a common occurrence for decades, helping to avoid any major spills during all this time," the agency reports, adding that we are talking about tankers of the so—called gray fleet, in which the owners of the vessels are unknown, and the vessels themselves are usually older than 15 years.

Bloomberg cites data that since the beginning of 2023, almost 1,200 tankers carrying Russian oil have left the Baltic Sea, and the share of gray fleet vessels has been increasing all the time.

"In three months, six out of 10 deliveries were made by tankers of the gray fleet. This is compared to about four out of ten in the first quarter of 2023," the agency continues.

The Danish authorities cannot force tankers to hire pilots, whose services cost about $ 10 thousand per passage.

As reported by EADaily, the European Union and the "Big Seven" introduced on December 5, 2022 a limit on Russian oil prices of $ 60 per barrel for third countries and banned their companies from providing transportation services if the price of cargo is higher. Against this background, an additional fleet of hundreds of tankers of unknown owners has appeared, who are ready to take risks and carry sanctioned oil.