Tankers Carrying Saudi Oil to India Go ‘Dark’ as Transponders Are Turned Off in the Red Sea
Two oil tankers carrying Saudi crude to Indian refiners have sailed out of the Red Sea while temporarily disabling their tracking systems. This maneuver comes in response to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels announcing a blockade on Saudi oil shipments. The tankers, Amazon and Rodos, navigated through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after initially heading towards the Suez Canal.
The Suezmax tanker Amazon, chartered by Indian Oil Corp (IOC), loaded 1 million barrels of crude at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port. The Aframax tanker Rodos took on 700,000 barrels for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) around July 20. Sources indicate that both vessels switched off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders around July 22, making their movements untraceable. They then altered their course and exited the Red Sea.
Saudi crude tankers for India go “dark”
These tankers are the first known vessels carrying Saudi crude to India to disable their AIS transponders since the blockade began. Disabling transponders is a common safety measure for ships operating in conflict zones. According to sources, the owner of the vessels took this precaution for safety reasons, and they are now en route to India. The Rodos is expected to reach Mangalore port on August 1, while the Amazon is slated to arrive in Chennai in early August.
Both ships are managed by Greece-based Dynacom Tankers. The decision to turn off their transponders followed attacks on two other Dynacom-operated vessels. After the Houthi attacks on several Saudi tankers, Indian refiners have increasingly opted to purchase Middle Eastern crude on a delivered basis. MRPL’s latest tender specified that it would procure only cargoes transported on routes that avoid both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
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