Dark fleet ship-to-ship transfers off Malaysia more than double

While the US, EU, and UK are starting to take stronger enforcement action against sanctions busting vessels dark fleet ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfers off the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia have doubled over the last year. “Business is booming for the dark fleet market,” Charlie Brown, Senior Advisor on Shipping of United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI), based in Singapore tells Seatrade Maritime News. . . . According to Brown, who uses a mix of satellite imagery and AIS tracking, he has been able to confirm around 60 ships laden with Iranian oil in the area, and another 30 vessels with cargoes from Russia (10) and Venezuela (20) waiting for STS operations. The number of STS pairs that Brown is observing has doubled to around 13 – 15 in recent weeks compared to 5 – 7 a year earlier.