Tanger Med Sends Fuel to Russia as Russian Diesel Continues to Reach Morocco
Fuel cargoes are heading from Tanger Med to Russia, while Russian diesel continues to flow to Morocco. These exchanges are continuing despite restrictions imposed by Moscow and difficulties at its refineries.
In its analysis published on 29 September, S&P Global reported nearly 40,000 tonnes of petroleum products shipped from Tanger Med to Russia for the second consecutive week. The exact nature of the products is not specified in maritime data.
On Bladi.net : Running short of gasoline, Russia turns to Morocco for supplies
At the same time, Russia is still exporting diesel and gasoil. During the week ending 24 September, all 81,000 tonnes recorded were loaded at Primorsk, on the Baltic Sea, with Morocco and Venezuela listed as destinations.
In the Black Sea, however, departures fell to zero, a first in S&P Global’s records. Ukrainian attacks on refineries and export restrictions are weighing on available volumes. The Russian ban is due to remain in force until the end of October.
Tanger Med also serves to supply Moscow
The cargoes bound for Russia extend a route already observed this summer. In mid-July, around 30,000 tonnes of AI-92 gasoline were loaded in Tangier before being shipped to Murmansk, in the Russian Arctic. Two industry sources cited by Reuters had identified Lukoil as the supplier at the time.
The Moroccan port’s role thus goes beyond that of a simple delivery point. In an analysis dated 4 September, Windward described a Tanger Med terminal receiving European and British gasoline, blending it, then re-exporting it to Russian ports. A cargo departing Morocco therefore does not, on its own, reveal its industrial origin.
As Bladi reported in its article on this supply route via Tanger Med, nine tankers had delivered around one million barrels to the terminal between January and August. The shipments came notably from Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.
On Bladi.net : Russia goes to Tanger for its gasoline… it costs it almost twice as much
Between June and July, three other ships transported around one million barrels from Tanger Med to Russian ports in the Arctic and the Baltic. These movements show that supplies to Moscow via this route had begun before the latest restrictions.
Windward also noted that the volumes shipped exceeded the European and British arrivals identified during the period. The company said this possible discrepancy could be explained by the use of earlier stocks and by blending operations carried out at the terminal.
