Delicate operation to remove grounded VLCC off Batam could take up to a month
Indonesia reckons it will take up to a month to free a grounded laden VLCC in the Singapore Strait.
The Djibouti-registered Young Yong ran aground off the Riau Islands on October 26, very near to a gas pipeline linking to Singapore. The ship was recently sanctioned by the US for its alleged links to Iran.
Shipping database Equasis lists the 2001-built ship as owned by Technology Bright Intl, and operated by East Wind Ship Management in Hong Kong.
The growing use of the so-called dark tanker fleet is resulting in accidents with the Young Yong one of two sanctioned tanker incidents recorded in the space of a week.
With Russia joining Iran and Venezuela in seeking vintage tonnage to shift cargoes as sanctions rain in, and major class societies, managers, and insurers shunning former clients in Moscow, there is a growing risk of substandard tonnage running into trouble.