A tanker with Russian Arctic oil is heading to Brazil
11.09.2023 - 09:40
A tanker carrying Russian Arctic crude oil has approached Brazil, where it has been heading for more than two weeks.
As of September 8, the Aframax Stratos Aurora-class tanker was 500 miles off the coast of Brazil, according to Bloomberg.
On August 22, the tanker loaded about 650,000 barrels of oil in Murmansk. The ship indicated Madre de Deus, Brazil as its destination. It is not known where the tanker is now, because AIS on the vessel has been turned off since August 28.
If the tanker unloads in Brazil, it will be the first time Russian oil has been delivered to the South American country since at least 2016.
Russia was forced to reorient oil exports to distant markets after the introduction of sanctions by Western countries. In general, the flagship Russian varieties Urals and Arctic are bought by refineries in Asia, especially in India and China.
Although Brazil will become a new market for Russian oil, the South American country has increased its imports of Russian fuel since February.
Crude oil from Russian Arctic terminals is usually sent to storage facilities in Murmansk, where cargoes are consolidated for further export.
