AsiaTankers

Controversial Young Yong VLCC refloated

The controversial VLCC Young Yong was refloated today, two weeks after it ran aground off the Riau Islands in Indonesia.

The laden ship, owned by Hong Kong’s Technology Bright International, has been sanctioned by the US for carrying illegal oil.

It has emerged that the cargo it was carrying when it ran aground was sanctioned Venezuelan oil, according to investigations carried out by Reuters, TankerTrackers.com and United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

The ship’s class society and flag have since dropped the ship, which is now under tow, after 44,000 tonnes of oil was taken off it to refloat it.

The Young Yong was blacklisted by Washington along with tankers Adisa, B Luminosa, Bluefins, Boceanica, Bueno, Julia A, Lara I, Nolan, Rain Drop and Zephyr, most of which have recently been in Venezuela.

“The individuals running this illicit network use a web of shell companies and fraudulent tactics including document falsification,” said the US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Brian Nelson, in a release last week.

MarineTraffic data suggests the ship will be taken to a nearby anchorage in Indonesian waters.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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