Ageing shadow fleet carrying Russian oil poses disaster risk

OLD TANKERS TYPICALLY SOLD FOR SCRAP ARE INSTEAD HAULING CRUDE; USUAL SAFETY AND INSURANCE STANDARDS AREN'T BEING MET

- ASAD ZULFIQAR

The oil tanker Turba normally should have been melted down by now.  The 26-year-old vessel hasn’t had a full inspection since 2017, according to a database dedicated to promoting safe shipping. It also lacks industry standard insurance and sails under the flag of country with a poor standing for the oversight of maritime safety. 

But rather than being steered onto a beach in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan for dismantling, the 1997-built tanker is collecting heavy fuel at the Russian port of St Petersburg. 

The aftermath of European Union sanctions on Russia mean that the Turba has been enlisted into a vast shadow fleet carrying Moscow’s oil around the globe. Its continued operation is a stark reminder that Group of Seven sanctions on Moscow carry an environmental risk. The big concern is that some older vessels — the global fleet is now the oldest in almost two decades — may not be properly inspected and maintained, leading to a catastrophic accident at sea. 

“They’re an environmental disaster waiting to happen,” said Lars Barstad, chief executive officer of the management unit of Frontline, one of the largest owners of supertankers.

In normal times, owners start to consider demolishing tankers when they’re about 15 years old. By year 20, the ships’ fate — to be sold for scrap — is usually sealed.