Singapore has seen a surge in tanker detentions this year after port state control inspections were reinstated after Covid-19 and the frequency of inspections carried out were increased.
The city state has so far detained 33 tankers or oil/chemical tankers in the first five months of this year, according to data from the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control.
April saw nine tankers detained, the most in any month in over a decade.
“We resumed physical PSC inspections onboard vessels with the relaxation of the Covid-19 safe management measures in 2022,” the MPA told TradeWinds.
“The frequency of these inspections has also increased to ensure safe and reliable vessel operations, and that the vessel is in compliance with all applicable regulations.”
The increase in tanker detentions comes amid concerns over the threat posed to Asian waters by the so-called dark fleet — tankers operating in sanctioned oil trades, which are often underinsured and have been dubbed an accident waiting to happen due to the threat of environmental damage they pose.
Asian governments have been on edge following the explosion and fire aboard the 96,700-dwt Pablo (built 1997) in the South China Sea in early May close to the entrance of the Singapore Strait.
Interestingly, Malaysia has not detained a single tanker this year despite inspecting over 120 vessels since the start of the year, according to Tokyo MoU figures.
This is despite Malaysia being a key location for the ship-to-ship transfer of cargoes of sanctions crude cargoes from the likes of Iran, Venezuela and now Russia.
China has detained over 30 tankers or oil/chemical tankers this year for failing PSC inspections as an increasing number of ageing tankers discharge oil in China.
At least 10 of these ships were flagged in countries suspected of being linked to the dark fleet, such as Gabon, Cameroon, Palau and Djibouti.
Data company Vortexa has identified an increasing number of aframax and suezmax tankers older than 10 years that have discharged in China since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
They included 41 vessels that were not operated by Chinese, European Union or Russian entities and were purchased by new entities in the past 15 months.
Even Russia has detained several tankers this year for failing PSC with several of them suspected to be members of the dark fleet.
On Saturday the port of Vostochny was said to have detained the 104,600-dwt aframax tanker Jolie (built 2000) over a Marpol-related deficiency.
The ship was reportedly purchased from Greece’s Minerva Marine in June 2020 for $10.3m by Russian owner Transmorflot, according to VesselsValue.
