Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker Stranded Off India’s Coast For Two Days

A Russian oil tanker carrying crude from a sanctioned producer has been anchored off India’s west coast for two days. There are questions about whether authorities will permit its cargo to be offloaded.

The vessel, Cordelia Moon, had planned to discharge its shipment at Vadinar on Feb 9, 2025, after loading about one million barrels of Urals crude from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in Russia between January 10 and 12.

The cargo is owned by Surgutneftegas, one of the Russian oil producers targeted by the U.S. sanctions imposed on January 10. This is the first known arrival of a Surgutneftegas shipment that was loaded after the U.S. sanctions deadline.

Additionally, four more tankers carrying similar crude are expected to reach India soon, while another vessel transporting oil from Gazprom Neft- another recently sanctioned Russian producer- is also on its way.

Meanwhile, global tracking data shows that Russian crude exports are slowing, with millions of barrels from the country’s eastern regions still sitting aboard tankers rather than reaching buyers.

India’s Oil Secretary, Pankaj Jain, reportedly stated that oil shipments from sanctioned companies would not be accepted if they were loaded after January 10. However, he mentioned that he was unaware of Cordelia Moon’s status.

The ship is also not listed among the 161 oil tankers blacklisted by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) last month.

Both Surgutneftegas and Gazprom Neft have not responded to requests for comment. With the vessel still anchored off India’s coast, it is unclear how the authorities will handle the situation.

Reference: Bloomberg

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