Bloomberg
Three oil tankers from the "ghost fleet" that loaded Venezuelan oil before the ousting of leader Nicolas Maduro are still stranded in the country, highlighting how the oil industry is still recovering from years of sanctions evasion. Bloomberg The three vessels are less than 10 miles off the Venezuelan coast, according to a government report obtained by Bloomberg that includes their exact location. They are one of the last vestiges of a period when more than half of Venezuela's crude oil exports—the main source of income for Maduro's regime—were transported on ghost ships to buyers in Asia.
TL;DR
- Three "ghost fleet" oil tankers are stranded off the Venezuelan coast, having loaded crude before Nicolas Maduro's removal.
- The tankers, carrying a total of 5 million barrels, are located less than 10 miles offshore near the port of Jose.
- Their continued presence highlights difficulties in Venezuela's oil industry operating with full transparency, even after U.S. sanctions relief.
- The ships have not transmitted their location in months, suggesting deactivated transponders, a tactic used by "dark fleet" vessels.
- This situation contrasts with other "dark fleet" vessels that have resumed operations under new U.S. compliance measures managed by companies like Chevron, Vitol, and Trafigura.