Capt Kamal Chadha –
Russia has rerouted VLCC carrying oil around Africa to Asia, potentially to avoid Houthi attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea.
Two Suezmax-class ships, Apus and Arlan, transferred their cargoes to the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Gold Pearl near Egypt’s Port Said earlier this month. The Gold Pearl then took a detour around Africa, unable to pass through the Suez Canal due to its draft.
While the reason for the rerouting is unclear, it may be linked to recent Houthi attacks on Russian tankers in the Red Sea. Other Russian cargoes continue to sail through the area, but some crews and operators may be exercising caution.
The Apus and Arlan, carrying around 1 million barrels each from Novorossiysk, met the Gold Pearl between August 6-8. Satellite imagery and tracking data confirm the transfer. The Gold Pearl is now heading to Singapore, having previously signalled a port call in Spain and paused near Malta to refuel.
This detour may be an exception, as most Russian crude shipments continue to pass through the Suez Canal and Red Sea to India and China. However, the Houthi attacks have raised concerns, despite assurances of safe passage for Chinese and Russian vessels. A similar ship-to-ship transfer occurred in early August, involving the Aframax tanker Arabela.
Marex Media
