Russian operators of sanctioned oil have found a new location for ship-to-ship transfers in the Mediterranean after being barred from Greek waters last month.
Bloomberg reports that the coastline near Nador, in eastern Morocco, has become a key site for transferring Urals oil from smaller vessels to larger tankers for onward shipment.
Since May 1, the Greek navy has conducted exercises in the Laconian Gulf to deter Russian-linked tankers from using the area for transfers.
In the over two years following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing sanctions, Moscow has been compelled to continuously relocate its tanker fleet to maintain export operations.
According to brokers BRS, the so-called grey tanker fleet, which operates outside regular commercial routes due to sanctions, has expanded by 17% this year, reaching 787 units, or 8.5% of total tanker capacity.
The grey fleet’s total deadweight tonnage (dwt) has surged to a staggering 93.7 million dwt, accounting for 13.7% of the global tanker tonnage.
