Spate of vintage sale and purchase deals raise Russian ‘dark fleet’ suspicions

…Shipbroker Braemar said last week that 33 tankers in the 200-plus ship fleet moving Iranian oil had loaded Russian crude, up from the 16 identified by pro-sanctions group United Against Nuclear Iran in early August. BRS did not publish details on the ships it identified as dark fleet candidates. VesselsValue lists 11 crude tankers 15 years or older sold last month. All but one — the 150,000-dwt shuttle tanker Nordic Rio (built 2004) — were sold to unknown or undisclosed buyers.