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Final sanctioned tanker with Russian Sokol oil to reach China port, data programs

The seventh and final tanker bring Sokol oil and approved by the U.S. will show up at China's Tianjin port on Tuesday night to discharge its Russian oil freight, LSEG and Kpler shipping information showed, cleaning a backlog of the crude kept on ships.

The six other approved tankers offloaded their Sokol oil cargo in China earlier this month, pressing China's March imports of seaborne Russian oil to a record high.

The tankers have all been sanctioned by the U.S. over Russia's war in Ukraine however most of the deliveries are working within a waiver duration approved by Washington.

The seventh tanker Sakhalin Island began making its method to the northeastern Chinese port of Tianjin late on Monday after drifting off the coast of nearby Shandong province for more than 3 weeks, the information showed.

Russia has been having problem with a Sokol glut in the middle of increase U.S. sanctions. More than 10 million barrels of the oil provided by Sakhalin-1, a system of Rosneft, have actually been drifting in storage over the past three months amid payment difficulties and sanctions on shipping companies and vessels carrying the crude.

India, the top buyer of Russian crude in 2023, has actually pulled back from purchases in the middle of tighter sanctions, offering top worldwide oil importer China the chance to scoop up the light sweet grade from Russia to change pricey Iranian supply, according to traders and shipping data.

Chinese business that received Sokol crude in March include Sinopec, PetroChina, Sinochem, CNOOC and independent refiners in Shandong, Kpler information showed.

China's seaborne Russian crude imports are set to hit a. record high in March at 1.816 million barrels per day, according. to Kpler, improved by record imports of Far East Russian grades. consisting of 440,000 bpd of Sokol and 967,000 bpd of ESPO.

Apart from Sakhalin Island, the 6 other vessels that. offloaded Sokol crude in China this month are - Krymsk, Liteyny. Possibility, Nellis, NS Antarctic, NS Century and NS Lion.

All tankers, except the NS Century, offloaded their freight. within short-lived waiver durations from U.S. sanctions.

Barring Nellis, all tankers are run by business tied. to Sovcomflot. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on. Russia's leading tanker group for breaching a $60-per-barrel. rate cap on Russian petroleum exports.

Sovcomflot and Tianjin Port did not right away react to. requests for comment. The Nellis is run by HS Nellis Ltd,. which might not be instantly grabbed remark.

After dumping in China, the Krymsk and Liteyny Possibility. are now anchored off Nakhodka, Russia, while the Nellis, NS. Antarctic and NS Lion are outside Yeosu, South Korea, LSEG information. revealed. NS Century is anchored off China's Qingdao.

The G7-led rate cap on Russian crude, imposed in December. 2022, aims to decrease how much money Russia has readily available for its. war in Ukraine by permitting Western-supplied insurance and other. services just on freights priced listed below $60 a barrel.

Beijing has said that it opposes unilateral sanctions and. that China's typical trade deserves regard and defense.

(source: Reuters)