Supertankers went for oil in Russia

The 333-meter supertanker loaded with oil left the Murmansk region and headed for the Suez Canal. This is a rare case when such vessels are used to export raw materials from Russia. Asian refineries are trying to quickly obtain additional volumes of oil from alternative sources, as the ongoing Iranian crisis has left them without supplies from the Middle East.

Supertanker Chloe has left the Murmansk region and is heading for the Suez Canal, according to AIS data. The ship reports that by October 4 it will be off the coast of Egypt. At the same time, the data on the draft of the vessel, 21.4 meters out of 22.5 meters, indicate the loading of the tanker.

Where and how Chloe loaded is unknown, as the ship turned off the transponder in Russian waters. Obviously, the tanker is carrying Arctic oil to India or China. Previous voyages of the ship indicate this.

The Chloe flight is a rare event in the export of Russian oil. The supertanker can take on board more than 300 thousand tons at once. Whereas traditionally on routes from In Russia, "Aframax" and "Suez"-class vessels operate, which carry two to three times less oil. This is due to the limitations of the straits, the Baltic and Black Seas, the Russian ports and infrastructure themselves.

Whether the transshipment of oil was carried out in the case of Chloe from ship to ship is unknown. It is known that before that, the first tanker from "Rosneft" "Vostok Oil", the work of the oil pipeline and the "North Bay" port, which was launched last week with the participation of the president, approached Murmansk. However, these volumes alone would not be enough, since "Valentin Pikul" delivered no more than 69 thousand tons.

Supertanker Chloe is not under sanctions and belongs to a company from Hong Kong. Previously, vessels of this class were used to export Russian oil, but at a distance. For example, "Aframax" and "Suez"-class tankers delivered oil to the shores of Algeria in In the Mediterranean Sea, and raw materials have already been loaded onto VLCC vessels there.

It is possible that the current voyage of the vessel to Russian waters may be an exception. However, it coincided with attempts by Asian refineries to maximize oil imports from available sources amid the ongoing Iranian war. It is known that the cost of physical oil supplies has already increased this week to $ 130-$150 — after the Saudi "East-West" oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz was stopped.

As reported by EADaily, Russian companies are increasing oil exports while oil prices are rising rapidly due to falling supplies from Saudi Arabia. The main flows go through the Baltic ports. One of the main terminals, in Ust-Luga, was completely given over to the export of domestic raw materials, redirecting Kazakh supplies to Novorossiysk.

According to Bloomberg, in the four weeks ending September 13, exports rose to 3.54 million barrels per day — the highest increase since May.