A sanctioned tanker carrying Russian crude has managed to discharge cargo at India’s Mundra port, despite a recent directive from the Adani Group prohibiting blacklisted ships from entering its terminals, ship tracking data showed on Tuesday.
The Suezmax tanker Spartan, formerly known as SCF Samatlor, unloaded around 1 million barrels of Urals crude at the Hindustan Petroleum-Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL) terminal in Mundra, according to data from LSEG and commodity analytics firm Kpler. The vessel has been blacklisted by the European Union and Britain for violating sanctions linked to the transport of Russian oil.
Equasis data indicates that Spartan is managed by Dubai-based Nova Shipmanagement and owned by Citrine Marine. Attempts by Reuters to reach both companies were unsuccessful, with no immediate responses to requests for comment. Contact information for Citrine Marine could not be located.
This development comes just a day after another sanctioned ship, the Noble Walker, altered its course from Mundra to Vadinar port while transporting about 1 million barrels of Russian crude, also bound for HMEL.
Adani Ports last week issued strict orders prohibiting vessels sanctioned by the EU, Britain, or the United States from docking at its 14 ports across India, including Mundra. The order was seen as a step to align the conglomerate with compliance requirements amid growing scrutiny of Russian oil flows.
Mundra remains a key gateway for Indian refiners such as HMEL and Indian Oil Corporation to import crude oil, including discounted shipments from Russia that have risen significantly since 2022.
The incident raises questions about enforcement of port restrictions, as sanctioned vessels continue to find alternative ways to deliver Russian crude to Indian refiners.