A Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian naphtha attempted to pass through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the last week of July before changing course to sail around Africa instead, trade sources said and shipping data from LSEG showed.
The Suezmax vessel, Sea Icon, loaded at least 100,000 tons of naphtha from Russian port of Ust-Luga on July 1 for delivery to Asia, the data showed.
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The cargo belonged to Russian energy company Novatek (NVTK.MM), opens new tab, a key alternative supplier of naphtha to Asian markets amid the ongoing war in the Gulf, a trader said.
Novatek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The tanker is controlled by the Kuwait-based Arab Maritime Petroleum Transport Company. The company did not immediately respond to Reuters’ email for comment.
Cargoes have started going around Africa because of war in the Middle East, said a Russia-based trader.
As of 0400 GMT on Monday, the ship was signalling Cape Town, South Africa, as its destination, LSEG ship-tracking data showed.
Traffic through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait has thinned after the Iran-aligned Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20.
Reporting by Mohi Narayan in New Delhi; Editing by Varun H K
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