Tanker Carrying Russian Crude Denied Entry to Indian Port

By Rakesh Sharma and Weilun Soon

Mar 28, 2025 (Bloomberg) – A tanker carrying Russian crude for state-run Indian Oil Corp. has been denied entry to a local port due to a lack of proper documentation on its seaworthiness, according to sources familiar with the development.

The Honduran-flagged Andaman Skies, built in 2004, loaded 767,000 barrels at Murmansk on Feb. 24 and was scheduled to discharge at Vadinar on March 30, according to Kpler data.

Indian regulations stipulate that tankers over 20 years old must possess a seaworthiness certificate issued by a member of the International Association of Classification Societies or an authorized entity recognized by the local regulator. Despite being certified by a local consultancy, Dakar Class, Indian authorities do not acknowledge this certification.

Currently, the vessel is in the Arabian Sea between Oman and India, still fully laden, and it appears to have halted sailing, as indicated by ship-tracking data. The registered owner of the ship, Durbeen Navigation Ltd., has not responded to requests for comment.

Last year, the vessel was permitted entry to an Indian port as it had not yet completed 20 years of service, sources revealed.

India has become a crucial destination for Russian seaborne crude shipments following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The nation’s import flows are under close market scrutiny due to sanctions imposed on many vessels. Despite this, the Andaman Skies has not been targeted in the US sanctions on ships transporting Russian oil, although British authorities have taken action against it.

The denial of entry to the Andaman Skies was initially reported by Reuters.

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.