Marine vessels

The tanker is involved in the export of sanctioned russian oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea, mainly to Brazil and other third countries, including the use of deceptive practices (disabling AIS). The vessel, through related companies, including the sanctioned Fornax Ship Management, Sun Ship Management, Oil Tankers SCF MGMT FZCO affiliated with the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot, the largest state-owned shipping company in russia, a key company for servicing and supporting offshore hydrocarbon production, transportation of russian oil, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas amidst the application of sanctions restrictions to the russian federation after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The main charterers of Sovcomflot vessels are the largest oil and gas companies and traders in russia. Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia: 'Sakhalin-1', 'Sakhalin-2', 'Varandey', 'Prirazlomnoye', 'Novy Port', 'Yamal LNG' and others. Prior to russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the company's fleet consisted of about 145 vessels. After the sanctions were imposed, Sovcomflot transferred dozens of vessels to the ownership of companies it had set up, including in foreign jurisdictions, in order to circumvent them, and began the practice of constantly 'juggling' (transferring) vessels to related companies. According to expert estimates, the tankers 'transferred' by Sovcomflot to related companies are part of the so-called 'shadow tanker fleet' of the russian federation to continue selling russian oil, oil products, and liquefied gas under western sanctions. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker is a large-capacity vessel of unlimited navigation area built in 2024, of MR type with a deadweight of 50 thousand tons, dimensions - length 183 m, width 32.2 m. The tanker was built by a sanctioned russian shipyard, Zvezda Shipyard LLC, for the sanctioned russian company Sovcomflot under a contract with its subsidiary SCF Atlantic LLC. PJSC Sovcomflot is the largest state-owned shipping company in russia, a key company for servicing and supporting offshore hydrocarbon production, transportation of russian oil, oil products, liquefied natural gas amidst the application of sanctions restrictions to russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The main charterers of Sovcomflot vessels are the largest oil and gas companies and traders in russia. Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia: 'Sakhalin-1', 'Sakhalin-2', 'Varandey', 'Prirazlomnoye', 'Novy Port', 'Yamal LNG' and others. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The vessel is under construction for the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot at the sanctioned russian shipyard SSK Zvezda LLC. PJSC Sovcomflot is the largest state-owned shipping company in russia that services and supports offshore hydrocarbon production and the transportation of russian crude oil, oil products, and liquefied natural gas. The main charterers of Sovcomflot's vessels are the largest oil and gas companies and traders in russia. Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia: 'Sakhalin-1', 'Sakhalin-2', 'Varandey', 'Prirazlomnoye', 'Novy Port', 'Yamal LNG' and others. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The vessel was built in 2013 by order of the sanctioned russian state-owned company Sovcomflot, russia's largest shipping company in the field of marine transportation of hydrocarbons, as well as maintenance, support for offshore exploration and oil and gas production. The company's fleet (owned and chartered) serves large-scale energy projects in russia, including Yamal LNG, Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, Prirazlomnoye, Novy Port, Varandey, etc. The vessel participates in ensuring the uninterrupted operation of oil production platforms at the Kirinskoye gas condensate field located within the Kirinsky block of the Sakhalin-3 project on the shelf of Sakhalin Island, the Chayvonskoye oil field, and the Arkutun-Dagi oil and gas field, which are part of the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker is involved in the export of russian oil from russian ports in the Baltic, Black Sea, and Pacific regions, mainly to India. The vessel is owned and operated by the sanctioned russian company JSC Rosnefteflot, which is a subsidiary of the sanctioned PJSC Rosneft Oil Company, a russian state-owned oil and gas company, one of the world's largest oil producers. Rosnefteflot JSC carries out technical and commercial management of floating drilling rigs; technical and commercial management of the ice-class transport and towing fleet in Arctic conditions; technical and commercial management of the tanker fleet in Arctic waters; ensures the operation of the port fleet; provides services in the ports of Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vostochny, Primorskoe, Tuapse, Novorossiysk, Ust-Luga, and Primorsk. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker has been involved in the transportation of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil for the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) since at least 2022. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and is controlled by the Ministry of Oil of Iran. NIOC and its subsidiaries explore, produce, transport, process and export oil and natural gas in Iran. The oil deals of NIOC, including its subsidiaries, are used to generate revenue for the IRGC-QF (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Hizballah (Hezbollah). On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker.

The tanker is affiliated with the sanctioned Indian company Vision Ship Management LLP, which is affiliated with vessels involved in the transportation of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil for the sanctioned China Concord Petroleum Company since 2022. Iran relies on an extensive network of tankers and ship management companies in many jurisdictions to transport its oil to consumers, using deceptive tactics (falsification of documentation, manipulation of ship tracking systems, constant changes of ship names and flags). On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker as a property in which Vision Ship Management LLP has an interest.

In July 2024, the tanker on behalf of the sanctioned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) delivered Iranian fuel oil worth approximately $18.5 million to the UAE, in August 2024, it transported an additional cargo of fuel oil worth approximately $17.5 million to the UAE. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and is controlled by the Ministry of Oil of Iran. NIOC and its subsidiaries explore, produce, transport, refine and export oil and natural gas in Iran. The oil deals of NIOC, including its subsidiaries, are used to generate revenue for the IRGC-QF (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and Hizballah (Hezbollah). On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the tanker.

The tanker has been involved in the transportation of sanctioned Iranian oil since at least 2022, in particular, it has transported hundreds of thousands of metric tons of Iranian crude oil on behalf of China Concord Petroleum Company, which was sanctioned by USA in late 2019 for violating restrictions on the handling and transactions with Iranian oil. Iran relies on an extensive network of tankers and ship management companies in many jurisdictions to transport its oil to consumers, using deceptive tactics (falsification of documentation, manipulation of ship tracking systems, constant changes of ship names and flags). Since 2022, the vessel has changed its name, flag country, owner and management several times. The tanker is certified by the China Classification Society (IACS). On December 03, 2024, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The tanker is involved in the export of russian crude oil/oil products from russian ports in the Baltic Sea and the Pacific region, mainly to India. The ice-class tanker is the second vessel in a series of new generation Aframax-size large-capacity tankers built to order by the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot at the sanctioned shipyard SSK Zvezda LLC. The construction was financed by the sanctioned VEB.rf. Upon completion of the construction, the vessel was chartered on a long-term basis (under a 20-year time charter agreement) by the sanctioned PJSC Rosneft Oil Company to provide sea transportation of russian export cargoes. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The A1 ice-class supply tanker is a large icebreaker operating in the Arctic Ocean, owned by the sanctioned company PJSC Sovcomflot, the largest state-owned shipping company in russia that services and supports offshore hydrocarbon production and transportation of russian crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas. The services provided by PJSC Sovcomflot are a significant source of income for the russian federation - more than 70% of its revenues come from the sale of energy. The main charterers of Sovcomflot's vessels are russia's largest oil and gas companies and traders. PJSC Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia, including Varandey and Prirazlomnoye. The tanker is a dual-action vessel, which can navigate both forward and backward in the ice, and is the third vessel in a series of shuttle tankers of enhanced ice class designed for marine transportation of oil within the Varandey Arctic energy project. The vessel transports crude oil from the Varandey oil export terminal, the Arctic Gate offshore oil terminal on the Yamal Peninsula, the Prirazlomnoye offshore oil field in the Pechora Sea (a stationary platform, which is the world's first ice-resistant Arctic-class oil platform), in particular, to Murmansk, to the FSO KOLA floating storage tanker (IMO 9217979, under USA sanctions). The Varandey Oil Export Terminal (affiliated with the sanctioned Lukoil) provides year-round transshipment of oil produced in the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province, located above the Arctic Circle in the village of Varandey on the Barents Sea. The Arctic Gateway terminal is a specialized port on the coast of the Gulf of Ob designed to export liquid hydrocarbons from the giant Novoportovskoye oil and gas condensate field, which is being developed by the sanctioned Gazprom Neft. The Prirazlomnoye Arctic offshore oil field is being developed by Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC (a 100% subsidiary of Gazprom Neft), which is the offshore project management center of Gazprom Neft, the only oil company producing oil on the russian Arctic shelf. On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.

The Arctic shuttle tanker, the second vessel in a series of three reinforced ice-class tankers designed to transport oil produced in the Arctic region of russia at the Varandey field, belongs to the sanctioned PJSC Sovcomflot, the largest state-owned shipping company in russia that services and supports offshore hydrocarbon production and transports russian oil, oil products and liquefied natural gas. The main charterers of Sovcomflot's vessels are russia's largest oil and gas companies and traders. PJSC Sovcomflot is involved in servicing major oil and gas projects in russia, including Varandey and Prirazlomnoye. The main operation of the tanker is the transportation of crude oil from the Varandey ice-resistant offshore shipping terminal in the Barents Sea to Murmansk. The Varandey oil loading terminal (affiliated with the sanctioned Lukoil) provides year-round transshipment of oil produced in the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province, located above the Arctic Circle in the village of Varandey on the shores of the Barents Sea. To transport oil, the tanker is equipped with ten tanks, each with a capacity of about 8,000 cubic meters. Typically, the tanker transports about 70 thousand tons of crude oil per voyage. The vessel transports oil from the Varandey oil export terminal, the Prirazlomnoye Arctic offshore oil field in the Pechora Sea (a stationary platform, which is the world's first ice-resistant Arctic-class oil platform), in particular, to Murmansk, to the FSO KOLA floating storage tanker (IMO 9217979, under USA sanctions). On January 10, 2025, USA imposed sanctions on the vessel.