Two informed officials said that a tanker carrying Iranian crude oil, which was heading to the Vadinar terminal on the western coast of India in the state of Gujarat, changed its course to China, perhaps due to documentation problems.
The ship, a large crude carrier, is now headed to Dongying in China, according to Kpler-owned MarineTraffic, which tracks ships based on transponder signals.
A port official said, “None of the agents at the terminal received any mandatory documents related to the tanker Peng Shun. The ports provide services on the basis of reservation and necessary permits.”
The Eswatini-flagged ship Ping Shun’s transponders and AIS (Automatic Identity System) system had earlier indicated that it was bound for the Vadinar Marine Terminal and expected to arrive at the facility by April 4.
An official familiar with the matter said on Wednesday that the ship was initially bound for India, provided it fulfilled all “legal documents required by international maritime protocols.”
A second official, who requested anonymity, said there could be several reasons behind the change in course, including issues related to price, insurance, operating staff or documentation. He certainly said that he had no knowledge of the reason for the ship’s withdrawal.
On March 21, US President Donald Trump allowed the sale of Iranian oil already loaded on tankers in an attempt to reduce high crude oil prices. The vessel is operated by Nycity Shipmanagement Co. Ltd, a Chinese company. The ship loaded crude oil from Iran’s Kharg Island and had previously reached a Chinese destination.
India imports nearly 90% of its crude oil, half of its LNG, and two-thirds of its LPG, most of it coming from West Asia through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s crackdown on traffic has choked global supplies since the conflict began on February 28.
