US-Sanctioned VLCC Era Lines Up Recycling Move After Comoros Reflag
A US-sanctioned Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with a record of name changes and a recent Coast Guard pursuit has resurfaced as Era under the Comoros flag, in a move that points toward a possible recycling endgame for the 333-meter tanker, according to OFAC.
The 2002-built crude carrier, formerly known as Marinera and Bella 1, is identified in public vessel-tracking data as Era, IMO 9230880, MMSI 620800460, with Chaguaramas in Trinidad and Tobago listed as its destination. The ship’s size is notable, measuring 333 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 318,518 deadweight tons.
Managerial Connections to Demolition Voyages
The latest shipping-record trail names Global Marketing Systems as owner and Blue Whale Maritime as manager. Blue Whale’s own profile includes technical and crew management, flag and class transfers, and “end-to-end solutions for demolition voyage ships.” This mix of a new Comoros flag, a fresh operating identity, and a manager active in demolition voyages makes the ageing VLCC look increasingly like a recycling candidate.
Criminal Proceedings Against Former Master
The tanker has already been drawn into US criminal proceedings. Avtandil Kalandadze, 47, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia and former master of Bella 1, pleaded guilty in Washington on June 12 to failing to obey orders from a US Coast Guard cutter during a multi-week pursuit from the Caribbean Sea to the North Atlantic Ocean. Kalandadze was master of Bella 1 from September 2025 until late December 2025, when the ship carried about 1.8 million barrels of Iran-origin oil to Asia.
Background on Blue Whale Maritime
Blue Whale Maritime Pvt Ltd is a ship-management company whose services include technical management, crew management, marine consultancy, ship repair, and spare-supply support. The company was registered in July 2016, with a head office in Delhi and branch offices in Kolkata and Singapore.
Original Article: Sanctioned VLCC Era lines up recycling move after Comoros reflag — Portnews