The tanker is involved in STS transfers at anchorages off Malaysia, Qingdao from tankers carrying sanctioned Iranian or Venezuelan oil. The tanker resorts to disabling the automatic identification system, a behavioral pattern that indicates that the tanker is trying to avoid detection of the STS transfer. The VLCC was purchased from DHT Tankers and is affiliated with an anonymous Chinese buyer who spent about $376 million to acquire a group of 13 tankers for the high-risk transportation of crude oil of russian origin in the Atlantic Ocean. These 13 tankers include five Aframax vessels, seven very large crude oil carriers and one Suezmax vessel. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, these vessels were purchased by an anonymous buyer through 20 separate but interconnected single-ship offshore companies from Hong Kong and China. Subsequently, all but one of the tankers were engaged in transshipment of cargoes in the established high-risk transshipment hub for russian crude oil for consolidation of cargoes in the area 860 nautical miles west of Portugal, in international waters. The registered owners, commercial managers, and ISM manager are characterized by an almost identical registration address in Dalian (PRC), and the same two addresses in Hong Kong. This group of tankers is considered to be the center of a fully operational mid-Atlantic transshipment hub for russian crude oil to China. Logistics STS hubs allow to conceal the ownership and origin of cargo. In addition to the Mid-Atlantic hub, transshipment centers include areas near Kalamata, Greece, Malta, Ceuta, and the Caucasus, where STS operations for russian crude oil have been established. The tanker, believed to be part of the shadow fleet, is affiliated with SUNNE CO LIMITED, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian federation. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel as a property in which SUNNE CO LIMITED has an interest. Since September 12, 2025, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on the vessel.
The VLCC was purchased from DHT Tankers and is affiliated with an anonymous Chinese buyer who spent about $376 million to acquire a group of 13 tankers for the high-risk transportation of crude oil of russian origin in the Atlantic Ocean. These 13 tankers include five Aframax vessels, seven very large crude oil carriers and one Suezmax vessel. According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, these vessels were purchased by an anonymous buyer through 20 separate but interconnected single-ship offshore companies from Hong Kong and China.
The tanker, believed to be part of the shadow fleet, is affiliated with SUNNE CO LIMITED, which was sanctioned by USA on January 10, 2025 for its activities in the energy sector of the russian federation.
Logistics STS hubs allow to conceal the ownership and origin of cargo. In addition to the Mid-Atlantic hub, transshipment centers include areas near Kalamata, Greece, Malta, Ceuta, and the Caucasus, where STS operations for russian crude oil have been established.
Subsequently, all but one of the tankers were engaged in transshipment of cargoes in the established high-risk transshipment hub for russian crude oil for consolidation of cargoes in the area 860 nautical miles west of Portugal, in international waters. The registered owners, commercial managers, and ISM manager are characterized by an almost identical registration address in Dalian (PRC), and the same two addresses in Hong Kong.
The tanker is involved in STS transfers at anchorages off Malaysia, Qingdao from tankers carrying sanctioned Iranian or Venezuelan oil. The tanker resorts to disabling the automatic identification system, a behavioral pattern that indicates that the tanker is trying to avoid detection of the STS transfer.
Shipping sanctions: a specified ship is prohibited from being provided with access to or having its master or pilot cause it to enter a port in the UK, may have its registration on the UK Ship Register terminated, and a master or pilot of a specified ship may be given a port barring direction, a detention direction, and a port entry direction or a movement direction.