Yuri Barsukov: Loaded tankers with transponders turned off will leave Russian ports under cover of night

12.04.2022       

Russian oil and oil products, while not formally sanctioned, are becoming more and more likely to be as public condemnation forces European and American companies to shun deals. But since the world's largest exporter of liquid hydrocarbons cannot be immediately erased from the world economy with a stroke of the pen, Western companies have to adapt to the new reality.

That's what Shell, according to Bloomberg, had to recognize that diesel fuel is not considered Russian if less than half of its volume is a product of Russian origin. This interpretation allows the company to buy diesel fuel formed after mixing in the tank farm of the port of Ventspils in Latvia, without formally breaking the promise not to purchase Russian oil products.

However, it is not clear where they are the limits of the application of this scheme: for example, is it possible with the help of a bucket with the "correct" diesel fuel, consistently mixing it with ever new volumes of "stinking Russian diesel fuel", as a result, get a tanker — or even a few — a product fit for consumption in polite society.

In fact, Shell can only be sympathized with. Company, which is honestly trying to fulfill its obligations to customers and contain rising fuel prices in Europe, this is the second time it has come under fire for dealing with "bloody Russian oil". And, for example, Trafigura and Vitol traders, who are actively increasing oil purchases in the Russian Federation, taking advantage of significant discounts, and then reselling cargo to Asian consumers, for some reason do not face such fierce condemnation.

While fuel-mixing schemes may be hilarious now, they are likely to become only the prototype for larger operations designed to "whitewash" Russian raw materials. Given Iran's and Venezuela's years of experience in circumventing sanctions, it's easy to imagine what they might look like.

Loaded tankers with transponders turned off under the cover of night will leave Russian ports in order to transship cargo at sea onto a neutral ship allegedly with Kazakh (or Norwegian, or Saudi) oil. Tankers and their owners, suspected of such actions, will be subject to sanctions, new ships and people will take their place, and the costs of operations will be covered by the discount of Russian oil to the world price. Kommersant

new ships and people will take their place, and the costs of operations will be covered by the discount of Russian oil to the world price. Kommersant

new vessels and people will take their place, and the costs of operations will be covered by the discount of Russian oil to the world price. Kommersant