A Western-sanctioned oil tanker carrying Russian crude for Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has faced delays in discharging its cargo at Paradip port due to a hold-up in verifying its insurance cover, according to three industry sources familiar with the matter.
The Aframax vessel Tiger 6—listed under European Union and UK sanctions—was scheduled to offload its ESPO grade crude on November 23. However, LSEG vessel-tracking data on Wednesday showed the ship idling near Paradip on India’s east coast. Two sources confirmed that the tanker had begun the berthing process after prolonged checks.
The delay reflects India’s tightened vigilance at its ports, particularly concerning ageing or “shadow fleet” vessels frequently used to transport Russian oil. Earlier this year, India implemented stricter rules requiring mandatory online verification of protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance for ships insured by companies outside the International Group (IG), to curb the use of forged documents.
The Tiger 6 is insured by Russia’s Soglasie Insurance Co. Ltd, a non-IG insurer recognised by India. The cargo itself was supplied by a non-sanctioned entity, sources said. Soglasie and IOC have not commented on the incident.
India currently recognises P&I cover from 19 non-IG insurers, including eight Russian firms, enabling the country to maintain access to discounted Russian crude even as Western sanctions reshape global oil flows. The Paradip delay indicates that while India remains a major buyer of Russian oil, it is tightening compliance procedures to ensure port safety and documentation authenticity.
