MOSCOW, April 5 (Reuters) – Russia has began to make ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of diesel close to African ports because it seeks transatlantic gross sales, based on merchants and Refinitiv Eikon knowledge.
A full EU embargo on Russian oil merchandise on Feb. 5 has boosted Russian diesel exports to Asia, Africa and the Center East, with STS loadings within the Mediterranean serving to to shorten jap routes.
Final month, Russia despatched about 1.0 million tonnes of diesel to African international locations, a few of which could possibly be re-exported, merchants stated.
“Some volumes could possibly be blended and resold or transshipped to cut back freight prices on the lengthy routes,” one dealer stated.
About 42,500 tonnes of diesel loaded on to the cargo ship Bourda within the Baltic port of Primorsk in late February was transferred ship-to-ship close to the port of Lomé in Togo to the tanker Marlin Aquamarine, based on Refinitiv Eikon knowledge.
In the intervening time Marlin Aquamarine is heading throughout the Atlantic Ocean certain for the port of Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago, the southernmost island nation within the Caribbean, based on Refinitiv.
Russian provide of diesel to Lomé nearly doubled in March to about 200,000 tonnes, Refinitiv knowledge confirmed.
About 30,000 tonnes of Russian diesel has additionally been transhipping on to the tanker Savanna close to the Nigerian port of Lagos, based on Refinitiv.
STS transfers close to Lomé and Lagos are generally used for delivering diesel and gasoline, transferring such cargoes from massive Aframax and Panamax tankers to vessels in a position to enter smaller harbours.
Reporting by Reuters; enhancing by Jason Neely
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