A Russian Tanker Carrying 190,000 Barrels of Diesel Diverts to Venezuela
The Sea Horse, flying a Hong Kong flag, carries approximately 190,000 barrels of Russian diesel and has altered its course toward the Venezuelan port of Puerto Cabello as Cuba remains subject to a US oil blockade.
| Countries | Venezuela, Cuba, Russie, États-Unis, Chypre |
|---|---|
| Companies | Kpler |
| Sector | Pétrole, Transport stockage |
| Theme | Politique & Géopolitique, Sanctions |
The Sea Horse tanker, flying a Hong Kong flag, entered Venezuelan waters on Tuesday carrying approximately 190,000 barrels of Russian diesel, according to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler. The vessel had initially listed Havana as its destination during its Atlantic crossing. Cuba, mired in a severe energy crisis following the interruption of its oil supplies, has suffered seven national power outages since 2024, including two in the past week.
Diversion Maneuvers Toward Puerto Cabello
After abruptly changing course last week, heading south through the eastern Caribbean before turning west, the Sea Horse was sailing along the Venezuelan coast on Tuesday, according to Kpler. Its arrival at the port of Puerto Cabello was expected on Wednesday. The vessel had loaded diesel from another tanker off Cyprus in early February. As scrutiny of Cuba-bound cargoes intensified, the ship successively listed its destinations as "Gibraltar for orders," "Caribbean Sea," and back to Gibraltar during its Atlantic crossing, according to Kpler's tracking database.
Cuba faces a de facto American oil blockade imposed by President Donald Trump, whose recent decisions on oil sanctions have caused a rebound in global crude prices, as well as the abrupt halt of Venezuelan supplies since January following Washington's ouster of President Nicolas Maduro. This country of 9.6 million people suffered two further national power outages last week due to oil shortages and aging thermoelectric plants.
Washington Eases Sanctions on Russian Tankers Already at Sea
Russia declared Friday it was ready to help its struggling ally. Moscow refused, however, to specify whether it was actually routing oil to Cuba. The island's energy crisis has deepened since the abrupt halt of Venezuelan deliveries in January.
The previous day, the United States had relaxed its sanctions to ease the regime applicable to Russian tankers already at sea. Washington indicated that cargoes destined for Cuba and North Korea remained subject to restrictions. The tightening of controls on these cargoes has accelerated the practice of repeatedly altering declared destinations among affected vessels.
A Second Sanctioned Russian Tanker Heading to the Caribbean
Meanwhile, the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, also under sanctions, was crossing the Atlantic this week toward the Caribbean with 730,000 barrels of crude oil on board, according to Kpler data. On Friday, its listed destination was the Cuban port of Matanzas. Later that day, the destination was changed to "Atlantic for orders."
