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Oil tanker “Young Yong” grounded near Singapore added to OFAC list over Iranian links

Captain of ship falsified the ship’s location data, and updated Viktor Artemov and others on the ship’s status and its loading of approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil.

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday (3 November) blacklisted Djibouti-registered tanker Young Yong that grounded in Singapore and its owner, for activities related to an international oil smuggling network that facilitated oil trades and generated revenue for Hizballah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

OFAC designated this complex network of facilitators, front companies, and vessels under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, terrorist organizations, leaders and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

The tanker was linked to Ukrainian national Viktor Artemov whom OFAC said “oversees much of this vast network of cover companies and shipping services to receive, conceal, and sell oil.”

“Artemov and his associates used their network to illegally transport Iranian oil abroad and procure funds on behalf of Hizballah and the IRGC-QF. Artemov used his companies to buy and sell oil tankers that were then used to transport blended Iranian oil on behalf of the oil smuggling network,” it said.

As of 2022, Artemov managed Ava Petroleum and used it to help sell illicit oil. Technology Bright is incorporated in the Marshall Islands and owns one vessel, the Young Yong. The captain of the oil tanker Young Yong falsified the ship’s location data, and updated Artemov and other Ava Petroleum employees on the ship’s status and its loading of approximately 1.8 million barrels of oil.

OFAC further elaborated: “Technology Bright is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Artemov. The Young Yong is being identified as blocked property in which Technology Bright has an interest.”

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson, said: “The individuals running this illicit network use a web of shell companies and fraudulent tactics including document falsification to obfuscate the origins of Iranian oil, sell it on the international market, and evade sanctions.”

“Market participants should be vigilant of Hizballah and the IRGC-QF’s attempts to generate revenue from oil smuggling to enable their terrorist activities around the world.”

Manifold Times previously reported the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) stating there were no signs of oil pollution from Djibouti-registered tanker Young Yong that grounded in Singapore Strait.

MPA said it was informed by the master of the tanker that it had grounded off Takong Kecil in the Riau Islands, Indonesia in the Singapore Strait at around 2020h on 26 October.

Note: The full statement by U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control can be found here.

Related: Singapore: MPA reports no oil pollution from grounded tanker “Young Yong”

 

Photo credit: Marine Traffic / Mataburung.com Burung Hantu

Published: 9 November, 2022

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Bunker Fuel

Huanghua Port expands bunkering capabilities with dedicated fuel oil terminal

Previously, bunkering vessels serving Huanghua Port were required to replenish marine fuel oil at other ports, including Tianjin, before returning to carry out bunkering operations, often resulting in delays.

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Huanghua Port has strengthened its marine fuel supply infrastructure with the commissioning of its first dedicated, all-weather bunker terminal, a move aimed at improving vessel turnaround times and supporting growing shipping activity at the port, according to China-based news outlets on Thursday (11 June). 

On 9 June, bunker tanker Heng Feng You 165 completed fuel loading operations at the terminal in the Huanghua Port Comprehensive Port Area before proceeding to an anchorage to provide bunkering services to waiting cargo vessels.

According to local authorities, the new facility addresses a longstanding bottleneck in the port’s marine fuel supply chain. 

Yao Meichen, Deputy Director of the Cangzhou Municipal Ocean and Port Administration Bureau said bunkering vessels serving Huanghua Port were required to replenish marine fuel oil at other ports previously, including Tianjin, before returning to carry out bunkering operations, often resulting in delays for vessels awaiting bunkers.

As cargo throughput and vessel traffic have increased in recent years, the absence of a specialised bunker terminal became a constraint on port efficiency. To address the issue, local authorities invested RMB 266 million (USD 39 million) to develop Huanghua Port’s first dedicated marine fuel oil terminal and actively pursued regulatory approvals for both a domestic transfer export bonded warehouse and a liquid bonded storage facility.

The terminal, which entered service at the end of last year, features a dedicated 5,000-dwt berth and storage tanks with a combined capacity of 66,000 cubic metres. It has a designed annual throughput capacity of 820,000 tonnes and primarily handles marine gasoil as well as 120 CST and 180 CST fuel oils.

Authorities said the facility has been operating smoothly since its launch and is capable of ensuring a stable supply of bunker fuel for vessels calling at the port.

The bunkering infrastructure will be further enhanced following approval from Shijiazhuang Customs for the establishment of both the domestic transfer export bonded warehouse and liquid bonded storage facilities. The additions are expected to strengthen Huanghua Port’s ability to provide bunkering services to international-going vessels.

“The commissioning of the marine fuel oil terminal has completely changed the previous situation of off-site fuel supply and ships queuing for fuel, achieving benefits for both bunkering vessels and cargo ships,” said Dong Xianke, General Manager of Cangzhou Bohai New Area Gangkun Marine Fuel Co., Ltd., the terminal’s operator.

 

Photo credit: David Yu from Pixabay
Published: 16 June, 2026

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Methanol

China: Chimbusco takes delivery of new methanol bunkering vessel in Zhoushan

Company says commissioning of “Zhong Ran LV Neng 85” will further enhance its service capabilities in green methanol bunkering in major domestic ports.

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Chimbusco takes delivery of new methanol bunkering vessel in Zhoushan

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) (Chimbusco) recently took delivery of its first bunkering vessel in China to deliver methanol to dual-fuel ships.

The 8,500-dwt duplex stainless steel chemical tanker Zhong Ran LV Neng 85 was successfully delivered in Zhoushan.

The company said the commissioning of this new ship will further enhance Chimbusco’s service capabilities in green methanol bunkering in major domestic ports and expand its national marine new energy service and support network

During the delivery period, Chimbusco said it focused on safe operations and conducted special training for all crew members of the vessel.

The training covered methanol bunkering operation specifications, prevention of collisions between commercial and fishing vessels, daily vessel reporting, and voyage report filling standards.

Manifold Times previously reported the launching of the bunkering vessel at Taizhou Fangzhen Shipbuilding Wharf in Zhejiang.

The floating out of the ship comes after Chimbusco has obtained methanol bunkering licences for Shanghai Port and Ningbo Port.

Related: Chimbusco launches new methanol bunkering vessel in Zhejiang

 

Photo credit: China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) (Chimbusco)
Published: 16 June, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

CCEC and CMA CGM form joint venture to build and operate LNG bunkering vessel

Each party will hold a 50% ownership stake in the joint venture, which has been established for the purpose of constructing, chartering, and operating one 20,000 cbm dual-fuel LNG bunkering vessel.

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Capital Clean Energy Carriers Corp. (CCEC), an international owner of ocean-going gas vessels, on Friday (12 June) announced the formation of a joint venture company with CMA CGM. 

Each party will hold a 50% ownership stake in the joint venture, which has been established for the purpose of constructing, chartering, and operating one 20,000 cbm dual-fuel LNG bunkering vessel. 

The joint venture marks CCEC’s entry into the LNG bunkering segment, the company’s first vessel dedicated to marine fuel supply.

In connection with this transaction, the joint venture has entered into a shipbuilding contract with Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE) for the construction of the vessel at a contract price of USD 82.8 million, with delivery expected in the third quarter of 2028.

Incorporating the latest technologies, the vessel is designed to enable safe and reliable LNG transfers across a wide range of operating conditions. Advanced emissions reduction systems, combined with highly efficient dual-fuel power generation, are designed to help the vessel meet applicable environmental standards of the global shipping industry.

In addition, the joint venture is expected to enter into a 12-year time charter with a joint venture company formed between CMA CGM and TotalEnergies, commencing upon delivery of the vessel from the shipyard.

Jerry Kalogiratos, CEO of Capital Clean Energy Carriers, commented: “This joint venture marks CCEC’s entry into LNG bunkering — a natural extension of our gas platform from carriage into marine fuel supply. 

“Working alongside counterparties of the calibre of CMA CGM and TotalEnergies, we can help build the infrastructure that allows LNG to deliver a cleaner emissions profile, alongside security and diversity of supply, while opening a new, long-term contracted revenue stream for the Company through the Joint Venture.”

Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President Operations and Assets of CMA CGM, said: “Together with Capital Clean Energy Carriers and TotalEnergies, we are committed to building a reliable and high-performance LNG bunkering supply chain, which is essential to ensuring the availability and reliability of fuels such as LNG that represent the first step in the decarbonization of our industry.”

 

Photo credit: Scott Graham
Published: 16 June, 2026

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