Two tankers loaded with Russian Urals crude oil have been stuck off the West Coast of India for more than three weeks. The Aframax tanker Crude Centurion and the Afragold are both carrying cargoes of approximately 700,000 barrels of Urals crude that they picked up from the Russian Baltic sea port Primorsk in January. Despite reaching the West Coast of India in February, they have not shown any signs of unloading and have instead been floating in the area, with the Crude Centurion about 100 miles away from Sikka, its intended destination, and the Afragold nearby.
The reason behind the idling of these tankers remains unclear, but there are suspicions that the disruption may be linked to western sanctions affecting the movement of Russian oil. The impact of the sanctions targeting traders and shipping companies involved in Russian petroleum has led to unusual behaviors in tanker movements, including prolonged periods of idling in the Indian Ocean before reaching Indian ports or diverting routes towards the Middle East. The sanctions have particularly hit Russia's Sokol crude, resulting in a significant amount of stranded oil that has slowly started to clear up, with most tankers now heading towards China after weeks of idling at sea.