Shadow-Fleet Tanker Damaged in Collision Near Denmark

(Bloomberg) —

A tanker from the shadow fleet of ships assembled to carry Russian oil was involved in a collision near Denmark, casting fresh light on the risks vessels with unknown ownership pose to the world’s oceans.

The incident, which involved the 15-year-old Andromeda Star oil tanker, occurred on March 2, the Danish Maritime Authority said in a statement. The case is still under investigation, it said without providing further details.

The vessel had been scheduled to load Russia’s flagship Urals crude on March 4 at the Baltic port of Primorsk, according to shipping information compiled by Bloomberg. Instead, it sailed to a repair yard in Denmark, where it arrived on March 17. 

Though there’s no sign of a major environmental impact from the collision, it’s another reminder of the risks the shadow fleet poses to the waters of even those European countries that are no longer engaged in trade with Moscow. Because it was on its way to Russia, the 700,000-barrel capacity vessel wouldn’t have had a cargo on board.

Denmark allows ships calling at Russia to sail through its waters due to a longstanding freedom of navigation treaty. Most ships require specialist pilots as the Danish Straits are tricky to navigate. 

The owners of the Andromeda Star are listed on multiple marine databases — including one maintained for the International Maritime Organization — as “reported sold undisclosed interest,” indicating the vessel’s true owners aren’t publicly known.

The ship is managed by a company called Margao Marine Solutions OPC, based in Goa, India, which didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. It had no listed phone number. 

The vessel’s insurers aren’t known and it isn’t listed as being covered on the website of the industry-standard International Group of P&I Clubs, which offers protection against risks such as spills and collisions.

Russia built out the shadow fleet to keep its oil exports flowing following a raft of sanctions from the US, the European Union and Group of Seven Nations. Some industry estimates have said the fleet amounts to as many as 600 vessels. 

© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

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