An VLCC operated by state-backed National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) is transporting crude from Venezuela to its home country as the two sanctioned countries continue to strengthen their oil trade links.
The 317,000-dwt Horse (built 2008) is due to arrive in Kharg Island on 8 November, along with 1.9m barrels of Venezuela’s Merey crude aboard, Kpler data shows.
Vessel-tracking data from VesselsValue shows the vessel – currently in the South Atlantic Ocean – is signalling the same destination.
It is not immediately known why Iran, believed to have high stocks of crude, is importing the Venezuelan cargo.
Reuters reported the sale was between National Iranian Oil Co and Petroleos de Venezuela SA (Pdvsa), the two Opec member states’ national energy firms.
Iran and Venezuela, which have both been sanctioned by Washington, have improved their trade ties this year as other countries steer away from them.
Oil intelligence outfit TankerTrackers earlier tweeted that the VLCC, under the name of Honey, was shipping Iranian gas condensate to the Jose terminal in Venezuela via the Cape of Good Hope.
The vessel discharged the condensate cargo in mid-September before lifting the Merey crude on 26 September.
In additional, Iran has been shipping gasoline to the fuel-starved Venezuela in what are reported to be oil-for-gold swaps.
The 35,200-dwt Forest, and Fortune and Faxon (all built 2004) discharged nearly 800,000 barrels of Iranian gasoline in Venezuelan between late September and early October.
During the second quarter, the trio and the 50,100-dwt Petunia and Clavel (both built 2018) together transported 1.5m barrels in similar shipments.
The larger ships are owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines and the smaller ones by NITC. All of them are flagged in Iran.
Washington has so far refrained from physically intervening in the oil trade between Iran and Venezuelan facilitated by their vessels.
The US is scheduled hold its presidential and congressional elections next month, while Venezuela is to have a legislative election in December.
