Rare Russian Diesel Shipment Expected in Norfolk November 2, Ahead of Tanker Bound for New York

A tanker carrying Russian diesel is expected to arrive in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 2, potentially becoming the first such shipment to reach the United States in more than three years.

The Vietnamese-flagged PVT Azura (IMO 9423683), reportedly carrying 109,000 barrels of Russian diesel, departed St. Petersburg on October 15 and is currently signaling Norfolk as its destination, according to VesselFinder.

The arrival would come five days ahead of another Russian diesel shipment identified by Reuters on Friday as the first cargo heading to the United States under a recent agreement between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters reported that the Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes loaded 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulfur diesel, equivalent to approximately 300,000 barrels, at Russia’s Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22. The tanker has signaled New York as its destination, with an expected arrival date of November 7, although its final discharge port has not been confirmed.

The two shipments come as the Trump administration moves to ease restrictions on Russian diesel in an effort to bring down soaring fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

On October 9, Trump announced an agreement under which Russia would immediately supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the United States and global markets, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter.

The same day, the U.S. Treasury Department issued General License 135, authorizing transactions involving the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel through April 7, 2027.

On October 16, one day after the PVT Azura departed St. Petersburg, Trump also signed an executive order waiving sanctions and tariffs under the Graham Act. Trump said the waiver was “in the national interests of the United States.”

The shipments would mark a rare return of Russian diesel to American ports following the Biden administration’s 2022 ban on Russian energy imports. According to the Associated Press, the last delivery of Russian diesel to the United States occurred in July 2023.

The PVT Azura is a conventional product tanker owned by PetroVietnam Transportation Corporation, according to classification records, with a history of transporting Russian petroleum products.

According to MyShipTracking.com, the vessel has called at several ports this year, including St. Petersburg and Svetly in Russia, the José Terminal in Venezuela, Constan?a in Romania, Szczecin in Poland, and Botlek, a major petroleum storage hub in the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

On February 15, the PVT Azura suffered engine failure and went adrift in Germany’s Kiel Canal. Two tugs responded and towed the tanker back toward Kiel, but sanctions related to Russian oil shipments reportedly prevented it from berthing at a German port.

The tanker is reportedly not headed to the Port of Virginia’s commercial terminals in Norfolk, but instead to a facility associated with U.S. military operations. The precise discharge location and intended use of the cargo have not been independently confirmed.

The U.S. Coast Guard did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

“This effort shows other players in the oil industry that the U.S. is open for business when it comes to buying Russian diesel,” said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates.

The arrival of the PVT Azura would provide an early test of the administration’s decision to reopen the U.S. market to Russian diesel, even as questions remain over how much additional supply Moscow can deliver and whether the shipments will meaningfully reduce fuel prices.

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