Albania has seized an oil tanker carrying 22,500 tonnes of oil suspected of coming from Russia and arrested the crew for breaching a Western embargo, Albanian police said on Feb. 20.
The Liberian-registered oil and chemical tanker was seized in the coastal town of Durres.
"From the first steps of investigation it is suspected that this oil shipment is coming from countries under an oil embargo, especially from Russia," police said in the statement.
"The tanker departed from Azerbaijan and was allegedly loaded with oil at Greece's Kalamata port, from another tanker with the amount of 22,500 tonnes of diesel fuel."
Albania was one of the first countries to introduce sanctions on Russia a year ago when Moscow launched attacks on Ukraine.
Albanian police said that during the operation codenamed Embargo it arrested all 22 crew members for further investigation.
On Feb. 10, Spain's northeastern Tarragona port refused entry to the Singapore-flagged Maersk Magellan after its cargo of oil products was found to have previously been carried by a vessel that was formerly Russian flagged.
Recommended Reading
From Satellites to Regulators, Everyone is Snooping on Oil, Gas
2024-04-10 - From methane taxes to an environmental group’s satellite trained on oil and gas emissions, producers face intense scrutiny, even if the watchers aren’t necessarily interested in solving the problem.
Markman: Is MethaneSAT Watching You? Yes.
2024-04-05 - EDF’s MethaneSAT is the first satellite devoted exclusively to methane and it is targeting the oil and gas space.
US EPA Expected to Drop Hydrogen from Power Plant Rule, Sources Say
2024-04-22 - The move reflects skepticism within the U.S. government that the technology will develop quickly enough to become a significant tool to decarbonize the electricity industry.
US Eases Tailpipe Rules, Slows EV Transition Through 2030
2024-03-20 - The Biden administration is unveiling final rules on March 20 that make it easier for automakers to continue selling gas-powered models and slows the projected transition to electric vehicles through 2030.
New US Rules Seek to Curb Leaks From Drilling on Public Lands
2024-03-27 - The U.S. Interior Department finalized rules aimed at limiting methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on public lands.