The grounding is another incident near Singapore involving a tanker from a so-called dark fleet of vessels that this week was branded as a “grave concern” to global shipping by the International Maritime Organization, or IMO.
Singapore’s tanker seizures soar to record highs as Russian dark oil fleet grows
Singapore’s tanker seizures soar to record highs as Russian dark oil fleet grows
The Liberty flies under the flag of Cameroon, the only one designated as very high risk. Industry databases do not provide a beneficial owner for the ship, but a firm called Skyward Management Corp, with an address in Kazakhstan, is listed as its technical manager. A call to a phone number for Skyward said the number was locked. An email to the firm was not immediately returned.
China oil tanker bound for Singapore catches fire off Malaysia, 3 crew missing
China oil tanker bound for Singapore catches fire off Malaysia, 3 crew missing
Earlier this year, there was an explosion on board a ship near Malaysian waters that also had difficult-to-trace ownership and insurance. The Pablo’s burning wreckage subsequently sat for months off Malaysia’s coastline.
The insurer of the Liberty against risks including collisions and spills is not clear.
The shadow fleet ships help countries under sanctions to get their oil to buyers but have raised environmental concerns.