Indian Scrapyards Welcome Growing Number of Dark Fleet Tankers
At least three vessels sanctioned by the United States have arrived in recent weeks at the demolition hub of Alang on India’s west coast, following a record 15 dark fleet tankers sent to these scrapyards last year, as the business rebounds despite concerns about dealing with sanctioned ships.
The Woodchip, built in 1993 and sanctioned by the U.S. in 2021 under one of its previous names, is the third tanker to have arrived at Alang in less than a month, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing vessel-tracking data, agent reports, and sources with knowledge of the deals.
Growing Number of Sanctioned Tankers Arrives at Indian Scrapyards
The total number of U.S.-sanctioned tankers that have arrived at India’s Alang so far this year already accounts for 20% of the 15 vessels of the dark fleet welcomed in 2025, according to Bloomberg’s analysis. Dark fleet tankers are much older than legit vessels and could pose environmental threats if left to service sanctioned oil deliveries for too long.
Decline in Shadow Fleet Vessels
The increase in tracked arrivals at India’s scrapyards signals that some of the oldest ships of the global shadow fleet are now finally being retired. Moreover, the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and the now legit Venezuelan oil sales under U.S. control have reduced the number of vessels needed to haul sanctioned oil.
U.S. Control Over Venezuelan Oil Sales
The U.S. took control of Venezuela’s oil sales in early January and authorized two of the world’s biggest independent traders, Vitol and Trafigura, to market the crude to buyers in the U.S., Europe, India, and China. Before the U.S. ousting of Nicolas Maduro, about 128 tankers of the dark fleet served the oil exports of Venezuela, per data from shipbroker Braemar Plc cited by Bloomberg.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
Original Article: Indian Scrapyards Welcome Growing Number of Dark Fleet Tankers — Oilprice