Russian July 2023 crude oil exports from the Black Sea decreased due to the embargo. For how long?
The Monitoring Group of BlackSeaNews and
the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews reports on the results of its own monitoring of the main trends in seaborne exports of Russian crude oil from the ports on the Black and Azov Seas in July 2023 (See Tables 1-4)
* * *
As we reported earlier, the exports of Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports in March 2023 set a record of 5,565,874 tons. This significantly exceeded the results of all the previous months since April 2022.
In April 2023, crude oil exports dropped by 14.2% and amounted to 4,822,058 tons. In May and June 2023, the exports recovered and reached almost 5 million tons in each month. Whereas in May 2023 the growth was achieved due to EU countries (because of embargo violations), in June 2023, the high level of exports was (as well as in March) maintained by shipments to non-EU countries.
In July 2023, the exports of Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports dropped by 1,357,305 tons (-27.2%) and amounted to 3,636,836 tons. Note that EU countries accounted for 67.2% of this decrease due to a reduction in the number of embargo violations (See Table 1).
In July 2023, we recorded only 2 cases of embargo violations, whereas in May and June, there were 11 and 9 ones respectively (See Table 2).
This happened as a result of the EU decision that prohibits tankers committing such violations from entering the ports of EU countries, which came into effect on 24 July 2023.
The analysis of violations of the embargo on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil will be provided in a separate article.
In July 2023, the exports of Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports to countries that had not joined the embargo also decreased: by 445,176 tons, or 11.5%.
However, unlike exports to EU countries, this is most likely a temporary phenomenon.
It should be added that whereas in June 2023 42 tankers transported Russian oil from the Black Sea, in July, there were only 28 such vessels. While in June 15 tankers carrying Russian oil belonged to companies from EU countries, in July, their number decreased to 9. The number of tankers carrying Russian crude oil that belong to Turkish shipowners also decreased: from 9 tankers in June to 2 vessels in July.
In contrast to crude oil, in July 2023, the seaborne exports of Russian petroleum products continued to grow and reached a record high since April 2022, amounting to 4.2 million tons and exceeding the volume of crude oil exports. The number of embargo violations also increased.
The analysis of seaborne exports of Russian petroleum products will be provided in a separate article.
Important notes:
a) The Russian Federation exports crude oil and petroleum products (fuel oil, gas oil, and solar oil) from ports on the Black and Azov Seas. They are exported by different types of vessels – crude oil tankers and oil/chemical tankers (or oil products tankers) respectively. Crude oil tankers are usually very large: in the Black Sea, one such tanker takes from 100 to 150 thousand tons of crude oil. Oil products tankers have a significantly lower freight-carrying capacity: the commonest are in the ranges of 3-5 and 25-30 thousand tons. The monthly ratio between the volume of exports of Russia’s crude oil and petroleum products is approximately 3:1.
b) Two separate streams of crude oil are exported from Black Sea ports: crude oil of the Russian Federation (from the ports of Novorossiysk, Taman, and Tuapse, from the transshipment points in the Kerch Strait and to the south of it) and crude oil of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) – from a separate terminal of the port of Novorossiysk. The CPC’s crude oil contains 80% of Kazakh oil and 20% of oil produced in Kazakhstan by the Russian company Lukoil. Kazakh oil is not under sanctions, although it is transported through the territory of the Russian Federation.
c) In tables and figures presenting the volume of exports of crude oil and petroleum products, the indicator DWT (deadweight) is used – a measure of how much weight a ship can carry. It is the sum of the weights of cargo, fuel, lubricants, technical and drinking water, passengers, luggage, crew, and provisions. When analysing the transportation of a large volume of oil and petroleum products, other types of cargoes carried by a ship do not significantly influence the results, since even on tankers with a deadweight of 100-150 thousand tons, the sum of the weights of fuel, water, provisions, and a small crew is in the hundreds of tons and does not affect the results of the analysis.
d) This analytical report does not take into account the volume of exports of crude oil and petroleum products from the Russian Federation to the Black Sea ports and transshipment points of Romania and Bulgaria.
e) In tables and figures, for convenience, the term "EU+" is used, which covers not only EU member states but also the USA, the UK, and Monaco. The appropriateness of such grouping is justified by the fact that the exports of Russian crude oil and petroleum products to these countries are very insignificant.
f) In the database of oil tankers at the end of the article, “Crude oil tanker CPC” means that this tanker carries oil from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s terminal. Tankers carrying crude oil of the Russian Federation are marked as "Crude oil tankers".
* * *
Table 1. The volume of seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea to EU countries in violation of the embargo in January–July 2023
| 2023, tons | January 2023 | Febuary 2023 | March 2023 | April 2023 | May 2023 | June 2023 | July 2023 | Changes |
| Russian crude oil to EU states | 1,274,281 | 975,520 | 476,449 | 801,594 | 1,554,020 | 1,134,445 | 222,316 | - 912,129.0 |
| Greece [GR] | 961,124 | 703,082 | 476,449 | 688,910 | 1,275,326 | 976,892 | 222,316 | - 754,576.0 |
| Italy [IT] | 166,966 | 157,553 | ||||||
| Spain [ES] | 159,058 | 164,565 | ||||||
| Netherlands [NL] | 103,755 | 105,472 | 112,684 | 114,129 | ||||
| Slovenia [SI] | 50,344 |
Table 2. Tankers that transported Russian crude oil to EU countries in January–July 2023 in violation of the embargo, by country of shipowner’s registration
| Shipowner's country of registration | January 2023 | February 2023 | March 2023 | April 2023 | May 2023 | June 2023 | July 2023 |
|
Greece [GR] |
6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Malta [MT] | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Denmark [DK] | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Latvia [LV] | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| Cyprus [CY] | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Turkey [TR] | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Marshall Islands [MH] | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| DUBAI [AE]- Russia [RU] | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Liberia [LR] | - | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | - |
| India [IN] | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Moldova [MD] | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| In total | 12 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
Table 3. The volume of seaborne imports of Russian crude oil from the Black Sea to countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russian oil, January–July 2023
| 2022-2023, tons | January 2023 | February 2023 | March 2023 | April 2023 | May 2023 | June 2023 | July 2023 | Changes |
| Russian crude oil to other states | 2,394,306 | 1,873,377 | 5,089,425 | 3,976,529 | 3,418,038 | 3,859,696 | 3,414,520 |
- 445,176 |
| India [IN] | 751,556 | 799,759 | 1,242,956 | 2,021,839 | 1,238,129 | 1,747,441 | 1,318,575 | - 428,866 |
| Turkey [TR] | 465,983 | 270,483 | 468,386 | 315,730 | 536,117 | 385,858 | 685,661 | + 299,803 |
| China [CN] | 261,719 | 159,184 | 877,217 | 764,369 | 996,059 | 493,324 | 221,322 | - 272,002 |
| Brazil [BR] | 105,484 | |||||||
| United Arab Emirates [AE] | 155,978 | 303,517 | 351,270 | 608,218 | 300,391 | 280,934 | 221,192 | - 59,742 |
| Russia [RU] | 47,199 | 112,960 | + 112,960 | |||||
| Korea [KR] | ||||||||
| Singapore [SG] | 300,392 | 115,445 | 1,064,478 | 112,521 | 504,814 | 575,737 | + 70,923 | |
| Sri Lanka [LK] | 219,194 | 267,544 | - 267,544 | |||||
| Bahamas [BS] | 230,131 | |||||||
| St Lucia [LC] | ||||||||
| Tunisia [TN] | 228,587 | 49,933 | ||||||
| Oman [OM] | 74,269 | |||||||
| Malaysia [MY] | 222,183 | 156,532 | 187,622 | |||||
| Saudi Arabia [SA] | 115,723 | 160,200 | 105,200 | 120,499 | + 15,299 | |||
| Senegal [SN] | 50,338 | 46,847 | ||||||
| Ghana [GH] | 109,266 | |||||||
| Myanmar [MM] | 156,630 | 158,574 | + 158,574.0 | |||||
| Cuba [CU] | 74,581 | - 74,581.0 | ||||||
| Djibouti [DJ] | 109,841 |
Table 4. Tankers that transported crude oil from Russian ports on the Black and Azov Seas in July 2023 (database)
Information on shipowner companies and operating companies is provided by www.equasis.org.
The first column of the table shows the date of a vessel's passage from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea
or the date of its arriving at one of Turkey's Black Sea port
|
# |
Name |
IMO |
DWT |
Flag |
Port of departure |
Actual Time of Departure |
Port of destination |
Estimated Time of Arrival |
Shipowner |
|
Greece [GR] |
|||||||||
|
08/07 |
STEALTH HARALAMBOS |
9386536 |
113021 |
Marshall Is |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-07-01 23:00 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATA: 2023-07-09 08:55 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SIGNAL PROJECTS LTD 110, Vouliagmenis Avenue, Glyfada, 166 74 Athens, Greece. |
|
09/07 |
BUTTERFLY A |
9249130 |
109295 |
Liberia |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-06-30 20:33 |
GR LAKONIKOS GULF |
ATD: 2023-07-11 12:39 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager AQUILA SHIPOWNER SA Mazaya Plaza, Zuhal Caddesi 46, Cevizli Mah, Maltepe, 34846 Istanbul, Turkey. |
|
India [IN] |
|||||||||
|
01/07 |
ANDAMAN SKIES |
9288693 |
111013 |
Cook Is |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-27 06:46 |
IN VTZ |
ETA: 2023-07-20 13:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager RADIATING WORLD SHIPPING SERVS Office 943, Burjuman Business Centre, BT1/L09/1-16-118, Khalid Bin Waleed Road, (Bank Street), Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
|
02/07 |
SAI BABA |
9321691 |
158889 |
Gabon |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-28 06:38 |
IN VADINAR ANCH |
ATA: 2023-07-15 22:18 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager PARADISE SHIPPING & MARINE INC Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake, Majuro MH 96960, Marshall Islands. |
|
05/07 |
VLADIMIR TIKHONOV |
9311622 |
162397 |
Liberia |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-02 16:14 |
IN PRT |
ETA: 2023-07-25 17:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SUN SHIP MANAGEMENT Office OT 17-32, 17th Floor, Office Tower, Central Park Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, PO Box 507065, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
|
11/07 |
TYCHE 1 |
9308077 |
150980 |
Panama |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-08 04:03 |
IN VZJ |
ETA: 2023-07-30 19:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager FRACTAL MARINE DMCC Unit 157, Level 5, DMCC Business Centre, Jewellery & Gemplex 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
|
11/07 |
SCF VANKOR |
9316127 |
163545 |
Liberia |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-08 20:58 |
IN VAD |
ETA: 2023-07-25 17:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SUN SHIP MANAGEMENT Office OT 17-32, 17th Floor, Office Tower, Central Park Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, PO Box 507065, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
|
15/07 |
MISCA |
9249312 |
149995 |
Panama |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-11 12:28 |
IN BOM |
ETA: 2023-07-30 22:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SPARTA SHIPMANAGEMENT LTD 2, Andrea Araouzou Street, 4150 Limassol, Cyprus. |
|
18/07 |
SHUN TAI |
9242223 |
104707 |
Liberia |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-14 08:41 |
IN NML |
ETA: 2023-08-01 01:30 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SYMI SHIPPING LTD 80, Broad Street, Monrovia, Liberia. |
|
25/07 |
KINYRAS |
9320714 |
166468 |
Liberia |
Black Sea |
ATD: 2023-07-23 10:01 |
IN MUN |
ETA: 2023-08-07 08:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager NAVIG8 ASIA PTE LTD 20-04, UIC Building, 5, Shenton Way, Singapore 068808 |
|
23/07 |
HERACLES |
9271585 |
150581 |
Gabon |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-18 14:35 |
IN MUN |
ATA: 2023-08-07 13:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager HIGH SEAS INC Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake, Majuro MH 96960, Marshall Islands. |
|
Turkey [TR] |
|||||||||
|
03/07 |
ELEGANCE |
9383950 |
115098 |
Panama |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-30 05:16 |
TR IZT |
ATA: 2023-07-03 16:41 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager PROMINENT SHIPMANAGEMENT LTD Room 601, 6th Floor, LT Tower, 31, Chong Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. |
|
03/07 |
SEAVOYAGER |
9318096 |
159233 |
Malta |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-06-30 20:10 |
TR ALI |
ETA: 2023-07-03 23:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager THENAMARIS SHIPS MANAGEMENT 16, Athinas Avenue & Vorreou Street, Vouliagmeni, 166 71 Athens, Greece. |
|
07/07 |
SILVER |
9420617 |
107507 |
Malta |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-04 02:43 |
TR ALI |
ETA: 2023-07-08 09:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager UNITED MARITIME LOGISTICS SA rue du Rhone, 42, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. |
|
20/07 |
ELANDRA FALCON |
9792486 |
157553 |
Marshall Is |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-17 02:35 |
TR ALI |
ETA: 2023-07-20 23:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager LSC SIA Sporta iela 11, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia. |
|
28/07 |
PAGOS |
9296406 |
146270 |
Gabon |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-25 02:53 |
TR KFZ |
ETA: 2023-07-28 12:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager PAGOS SHIPPING & MARINE INC Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake, Majuro MH 96960, Marshall Islands. |
|
Singapore [SG] |
|||||||||
|
05/07 |
OTTOMAN TENACITY |
9590682 |
149999 |
Turkey |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-02 13:17 |
SG SIN |
ETA: 2023-07-23 15:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager GUNGEN DENIZCILIK VE TICARET Halici Sokak 9, Gaziosmanpasa Mah, Cankaya, 06700 Ankara, Turkey. |
|
20/07 |
SUNNY LION |
9326873 |
74999 |
Marshall Is |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-07-17 17:21 |
SG SIN |
ETA: 2023-08-10 06:00 |
Registered owner SUNNY LION SHIPPING LLC Care of MSea Shipping AB, Viktor Rydbergsgaten 10, SE-411 32 Gothenburg, Sweden. |
|
23/07 |
SIMBA |
9229374 |
164286 |
Cameroon |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-20 07:43 |
SG SIN |
ETA: 2023-08-09 17:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager LORNI MARINE LTD Suite 10, 3rd Floor, La Ciotat, Mont Fleuri, Victoria, Mahe Island, Seychelles. |
|
26/07 |
CRUDE CENTURION |
9436020 |
112871 |
Marshall Is |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-07-21 09:43 |
SG SIN |
ETA: 2023-08-14 15:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager DIABLO FORTUNE INC Trust Company Complex, Ajeltake Road, Ajeltake, Majuro MH Marshall Islands. |
|
31/07 |
BELLINI |
9351440 |
73582 |
Marshall Is |
RU TUA |
ATD: 2023-07-28 02:22 |
SG SIN |
ETA: 2023-08-20 11:00 |
Registered owner PEYTO INTERNATIONAL CO Care of Prime Tanker Management Inc, 4, Poseidonos Avenue, Kallithea, 176 74 Athens, Greece. |
|
China [CN |
|||||||||
|
22/07 |
ATHENS VOYAGER |
9337391 |
105614 |
Panama |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-17 08:19 |
CN ZOS |
ETA: 2023-08-17 21:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager CHEMNAV SHIPMANAGEMENT LTD National Road Athens, 6, Roupel Street, Athens-Lamia Road, Km 17, Kifisia, 145 64 Athens, Greece. |
|
24/07 |
CORUM |
9544281 |
115708 |
Panama |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-20 18:43 |
CHINA FOR ORDERS |
Ship manager/Commercial manager PROMINENT SHIPMANAGEMENT LTD Room 601, 6th Floor, LT Tower, 31, Chong Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. |
|
|
United Arab Emirates [AE] |
|||||||||
|
15/07 |
GLAUCUS |
9337389 |
105641 |
Panama |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-08 21:57 |
AE FJR |
ETA: 2023-07-28 12:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager GLOBAL SHIP MANAGEMENT LTD 21st Floor, CMA Building, Connaught Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, China. |
|
26/07 |
ALICANTE |
9527855 |
115551 |
Marshall Is |
RU TAM |
ATD: 2023-07-23 17:58 |
AE FJR |
ETA: 2023-08-08 13:00 |
Registered owner ARMIDE OWNING CO LTD Care of TMS Tankers Ltd, 109, Kifisias Avenue & Sina Street, Marousi, 151 24 Athens, Greece. |
|
Russia [RU] |
|||||||||
|
07/07 |
VLADIMIR MONOMAKH |
9842176 |
112960 |
Russia |
RU KAVKAZ SOUTH ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-03 17:46 |
RU ULU |
ETA: 2023-07-25 14:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager ROSNEFTEFLOT JSC Presnenskaya naberezhnaya 6/2, Moscow, 123112, Russia. |
|
Myanmar [MM] |
|||||||||
|
17/07 |
SAKARYA |
9524463 |
158574 |
Panama |
RU NVS |
ATD: 2023-07-15 06:54 |
MM KYP |
ETA: 2023-08-07 08:00 LT (UTC +6.5) |
Ship manager/Commercial manager PROMINENT SHIPMANAGEMENT LTD Room 601, 6th Floor, LT Tower, 31, Chong Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. |
|
Saudi Arabia [SA] |
|||||||||
|
22/07 |
NORAH |
9240445 |
120499 |
Panama |
RU NOVOROS ANCH |
ATD: 2023-07-19 04:07 |
SA YNB |
ETA: 2023-07-29 11:00 |
Ship manager/Commercial manager SABAEK GENERAL TRADING CO WLL 1st Floor, Mariam Commercial Center, Salem Al Mubarak Street Kuwait. |
* * *
This article has been prepared with the support of the European Union in Ukraine. The content of the article is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the position of the EU
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