Tanker unable to load diesel from Indian refinery due to EU sanctions

A tanker chartered by energy company BP has left the port of Indian refinery Nayara Energy empty.

The incident came after the EU imposed sanctions on Nayara, which could signal the beginning of the impact of new restrictions on the Russian oil industry, Reuters reported.

According to five industry sources and LSEG, the Talara was due to load 60,000 tonnes of ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel on July 21 at the port of Vadinar in western India. The cargo was destined for Africa. However, after the sanctions were imposed, the vessel did not load. One of the informants said that the tanker did not load because of the sanctions.

Nayara is partly owned by Russia’s largest oil producer, Rosneft. Neither BP nor Nayara responded to requests for comment.

BP then abandoned the tanker’s charter, making it available for new shipments within India or the Middle East, two sources said.

Nayara issued a statement on Monday calling the EU sanctions “unfair and unilateral.” India also said it did not support the EU’s unilateral sanctions.

Nayara changed the terms of its tender for the sale of oil after the sanctions were imposed, requiring upfront payment, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Another vessel, the Pacific Martina, chartered by Shell, arrived in Vadinar on July 18 to load jet fuel. After being partially loaded, the vessel is currently anchored at a port near Talara.

PetroChina has also pre-chartered the Chang Hang Xing Yun, which is due to load 35,000 tonnes of diesel fuel in Vadinar on July 29-31. The cargo is planned to be delivered to Singapore or Chittagong (Bangladesh), according to brokers.

Shell and PetroChina also did not provide comments.

Earlier, USM reported that Britain had imposed new sanctions against 135 tankers of the Russian “shadow fleet”.