The Briefing Room
General Category => World News => Topic started by: TomSea on July 06, 2019, 05:14:34 pm
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A seized Iranian tanker took a several-thousand-mile detour around Africa in a possible attempt to sneak a shipment of crude oil to Syria
(https://amp.businessinsider.com/images/5d1f23dba17d6c2b5905e374-1536-768.jpg)
A map showing an approximate route of the Grace 1 tanker, which authorities in Gibraltar say was headed for Syria.
An Iranian oil tanker seized in the Mediterranean on Thursday had taken an unusual route, going all the way around Africa rather than using the Suez Canal.
It was seized off Gibraltar, where authorities say the tanker, called the Grace 1, was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions.
According to an intelligence source cited by Reuters, the route, which is about 10,000 miles longer, could have been an attempt to avoid being caught in the Suez Canal, where security is greater.
Read more at: https://www.businessinsider.com/iranian-tanker-accused-taking-oil-syria-thousands-miles-detour-gibraltar-2019-7 (https://www.businessinsider.com/iranian-tanker-accused-taking-oil-syria-thousands-miles-detour-gibraltar-2019-7)
So, this is that same tanker that was seized, this was its projected path.
A tanker must carry a lot more oil but it seems this oil could have gone through Iraq to Syria. Maybe there was some reason making that unlikely, like US troops in Iraq? Possibly.
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Does Syria even have a refinery?
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Does Syria even have a refinery?
Yes, two of them.
(https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis_includes/countries_long/Syria/images/syria_map.png)
Syria has two state-owned refineries, one in Homs and the other in Banias. The combined nameplate capacity of the two refineries at the beginning of 2015 was slightly less than 240,000 b/d according to the Oil & Gas Journal; a total capacity that met only three-fourths of Syria's pre-conflict demand for refined products.
https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=SYR (https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=SYR)
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So, this is that same tanker that was seized, this was its projected path.
A tanker must carry a lot more oil but it seems this oil could have gone through Iraq to Syria. Maybe there was some reason making that unlikely, like US troops in Iraq? Possibly.
This tanker is too wide to travel in the Suez Canal.
https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9116412 (https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9116412)
http://maritime-connector.com/wiki/suezmax/ (http://maritime-connector.com/wiki/suezmax/)
At 2 million barrels of oil (VLCC), it would take over 7,200 semi truck tank trailers to haul all the oil. Rather difficult size of a convey to sneak around undetected.
https://tankertrackers.com/news/news/grace1-detained-gibraltar (https://tankertrackers.com/news/news/grace1-detained-gibraltar)
It may be loaded down with heavy fuel oil from the info in the link above.
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There's a report out that another Iranian tanker has been seized, this time near Egypt. I don't think any printed stories are on this yet so, let's see if it is confirmed.
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There's a report out that another Iranian tanker has been seized, this time near Egypt. I don't think any printed stories are on this yet so, let's see if it is confirmed.
https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Ukrainian-tanker-with-Iranian-oil-seized-by-Egypt-in-Suez-Canal-report-595108 (https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Ukrainian-tanker-with-Iranian-oil-seized-by-Egypt-in-Suez-Canal-report-595108)
Says it was 10 days ago, trying to get through the Suez.
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More:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7229407/Tanker-carrying-Iranian-oil-detained-ally-Egypt-passed-Suez-Canal.html (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7229407/Tanker-carrying-Iranian-oil-detained-ally-Egypt-passed-Suez-Canal.html)