Sanctioned Oil Tanker Goes Aground on the Rocks in Aegean
A tanker has run aground off the coast of Bozcaada, Turkey, prompting a large-scale emergency response.
According to Turkish maritime safety agency KEGM, the 250-meter tanker Qendil was en route from Aliaga to Yalova when it drifted onto a rocky shore at Bozcaada (Tenedos), a scenic island in the Aegean just south of the Dardanelles. The area is popular with tourists and filled with small islands, both Greek and Turkish-controlled.
AIS data provided by Pole Star shows that Qendil went to anchor just southwest of the island on December 30, in about 40-50 meters of water. It held a relatively steady position at anchor through January 3. At approximately 1030 hours GMT on January 4, the ship departed her anchorage downwind for reasons as yet not known. She reached an unusual speed for a ship gone adrift - four knots - and came to rest about 100 meters offshore. Wind
Two tugs, Kurtarma-10 and Kurtarma-16, have been dispatched to the scene to assist.
No pollution or injuries have been reported.
Qendil (IMO 9310525, ex names Spark, Oilstar, Ionia) is a 115,000 dwt oil tanker built in 2006. It is currently flagged in Oman, owned in India and managed by a firm in China.
Qendil's last PSC entry was made three years ago under previous long-term ownership. In the intervening three years, the vessel has changed owners three times and registered under six different flags. The vessel's age, management, operating route and registration pattern align with Russia-serving shadow fleet participation, and it has been sanctioned by some (but not all) allies of Ukraine.
According to OpenSanctions,the ship was formerly part of the sanctioned Oceanix Management FZE fleet and the former Gatik Ship Management fleet. It has itself been sanctioned by Canada, Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. Ukraine has sanctioned both the vessel and its master, identified by the GRU as Russian national Andrei Chumakov.
No comments:
Post a Comment