Dockworkers at a port in north-west England have refused to discharge Russian oil products from a German-owned MR tanker.
The German-flagged 40,600-dwt Seacod (built 2006) was moored near the Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, but moved away on Sunday, heading north, reported UK newspaper The Guardian
On Friday the Unite union said it had informed Stanlow’s owner, India’s Essar Group, that its members would “under no circumstances unload any Russian oil regardless of the nationality of the vessel which delivers it”.
Essar Oil UK said in a statement that it remains “deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine and is fully complying with the statutory framework implemented by the UK government with regards to Russia-related entities”.
The Indian oil major said it turned away two cargos of non-Russian origin crude oil which would have been delivered in Russian-flagged tankers last week.
“We can confirm that a German-flagged vessel was approved to berth at Tranmere Oil Terminal by the port authority on Thursday 3 March,” Essar said.
“This vessel set sail for Tranmere on 22 February, before the invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent introduction of UK Government sanctions.”
Essar said it had been working urgently for “a number of days” to find alternative sources of diesel while simultaneously ensuring an uninterrupted supply of fuel to the Northwest of England.
“Essar will continue to comply fully and will respond promptly to any changes the UK government may make to the statutory framework of sanctions,” it added.
The Stanlow refinery, near Liverpool, is supported by a key trading relationship with Litasco, a fuel trading firm owned by Russia’s second-largest oil company, Lukoil, The Guardian said.
UK transport secretary Grant Shapps recently introduced a ban on Russian-linked vessels entering UK port, but the restrictions do not cover cargo.
Britain has ordered its ports to block any vessels that are Russian-flagged or believed to be registered, owned or controlled by any person connected with Russia.
Reports say this gas allowed several ships to dock since then despite carrying gas or oil that was ultimately purchased from Kremlin-controlled entities.
Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, urged Shapps “to close this loophole immediately”.
UK unions also claim that dockers have refused to unload shipments of LNG from two Russian-owned gas carriers that were due to dock in the UK last week.
