A tanker carrying Iranian crude oil, initially headed to India's west coast terminal of Vadinar in Gujarat, has changed course to China possibly due to documentation issues, two officials aware of the development said.
The vessel, a large crude carrier, is now headed to Dongying in China, according to the Kpler-owned MarineTraffic, which tracks ships based on transponder signalling.
None of the agents at the terminal received any mandatory documentation related to Ping Shun tanker. Ports offer services based on booking and necessary clearances," a port official said.
The Eswatini-flagged Ping Shun’s transponders and AIS (automatic identity system) had earlier signalled it was headed for the Vadinar offshore terminal and expected to reach the facility by April 4.
The ship was initially headed to India, subject to its fulfilling of all “legal documentation mandated by international maritime protocols”, an official aware of the matter had said on Wednesday.
There could be several reasons behind the change in course, including issues related to price, insurance, operating crew or documentation, a second official said, requesting anonymity.
To be sure, he said he had no knowledge of why the ship opted out.
On March 21, US President Donald Trump had allowed sale of Iranian oil already loaded on to tankers in an attempt to tamp down soaring crude prices.
The ship is operated by Nycity Shipmanagement Co. Ltd, a Chinese firm. The ship loaded crude from Iran Kharg Island and previously flashed a Chinese destination.
India imports nearly 90% of its crude, half of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and two-thirds of it is LPG, most of which comes from West Asia through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s crackdown on traffic has choked global supplies since the conflict began on February 28.
