A former Russian-controlled tanker remains detained in the UK, six years after being hit by a research ship.
The 2,800-dwt Tecoil Polaris (built 1990), since renamed Arves Oil, has been sold twice while being held by UK authorities but appears no nearer to leaving the port of Immingham in England.
The name change was made in September 2022, while Arves Oil of Panama is listed as buying the tanker in March 2023. The company could not be contacted.
The previous owner was Akbas M of Turkey, which took control in September 2022.
The vessel’s flag has not been known since then. The ship was previously flagged in Panama.
No AIS updates have been logged for 242 days. Equasis lists the ship as in casualty or repairing.
TradeWinds reported Tecoil Shipping of Russia as the owner when it was detained on 6 June 2018.
The tanker was Russian-flagged at the time of the detention.
The ship was held with 27 deficiencies, six of which were grounds for detention.
These included an inoperative gyro compass, a deficient voyage or passage plan, rescue boats not properly maintained and lifeboats unready for use.
The UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s June detention report said the ship was still held as of 30 June. The agency has been contacted for further information.
The ship was detained in Finland in 2017, with seven deficiencies, for 31 days.
VesselsValue assesses the Arves Oil as worth $920,000.
TradeWinds reported in March 2022 that UK shipbroker CW Kellock was to auction the ship after it was involved in a collision with a survey ship off the UK in 2018.
CW Kellock told TradeWinds at the time that two sets of surveys carried out a year previously placed the value of the Tecoil Polaris at between $190,000 and $250,000.
The tanker was listed as Tecoil’s only vessel.
In 2021, the broker sold the laid-up geophysical survey ship also involved in the accident.
The 69-loa multipurpose survey vessel Poseidon (built 1974) had been in cold lay-up in Hull following its detention by UK port state control officials in 2018.
Inspectors found 10 deficiencies, with two grounds for detentions: a holed hull and insufficient fire pump pressure.
The vessel was damaged after it hit the berthed Tecoil Polaris while underway in the port.
The Poseidon was formerly owned by Icelandic survey company Neptune EHF, which has since been liquidated.
The vessel was bought by Neptune in 2009 and extensively overhauled and refurbished.
