First EU-Sanctioned Tanker Unloads Russian Naphtha At Adani’s Mundra Port Despite Ban

A European Union–sanctioned tanker has unloaded a shipment of Russian naphtha at the Adani Group–run Mundra Port in western India, ship-tracking data showed on Tuesday. It is the first such incident since the company imposed a ban on blacklisted vessels.

According to data from Kpler and LSEG, the medium-range tanker Prometei discharged around 30,000 metric tonnes (about 260,000 barrels) of Russian naphtha for HPCL-Mittal Energy Limited (HMEL).

Two industry sources confirmed that the cargo had been loaded at Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga on 22 September and was destined for Mundra.

The Adani Group, India’s largest private port operator owned by billionaire Gautam Adani, had barred all tankers sanctioned by Western nations from entering its ports starting 11 September. The Prometei’s arrival marks the first breach of that policy since its implementation.

Naphtha is primarily used in petrochemical production and for blending with petrol. Since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, India has become a major importer of Russian naphtha, purchasing an average of 54,000 barrels per day so far this year, according to Kpler data.

Per LSEG figures, Russian ports shipped about 185,000 tonnes of naphtha to India in October, an increase from 170,000 tonnes in September, with several of these cargoes still at sea.

Western nations, including the European Union, United Kingdom and United States, have imposed a series of sanctions targeting Russian entities and vessels to limit Moscow’s income from energy exports used to fund its war efforts in Ukraine.

In a similar case last month, Adani Group reportedly denied entry to the Rose Makis, a medium-range tanker carrying refined fuels for Nayara Energy, a refiner sanctioned by the UK and EU. Although the Rose Makis itself was not sanctioned, sources said it was turned away from Mundra and diverted to Mumbai port.

The fuel onboard was intended for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), which has increased fuel purchases from Nayara Energy. Both HPCL and Nayara Energy declined to comment on the matter.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News