Experts express concern over Dark Fleet tankers in the MediterraneanPublished at 13:57 GMT
Joshua Cheatham
BBC Verified Journalist
We continue to investigate the Chariot Tide, a so-called “dark fleet” oil tanker that has been exhibiting unusual behavior in the Mediterranean Sea.
Tracking data from MarineTraffic shows the ship departed from northern Russia, headed south through the Baltic Sea toward the Strait of Gibraltar, and headed toward Tangier, Morocco.
As it neared the Strait of Gibraltar on January 22, the 18-year-old ship began giving a “not in command” signal. Four tugboats can be seen sailing around it, moving east through the strait at slow speeds.
Tracking on January 24 showed it circling around the Mediterranean, then moving eastward at low speed.
The reason for this is unknown. Mark Douglas, an analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence, said the ship’s heading was different from the direction it was heading, suggesting it may have been blown by strong winds.
image source, Starboard Maritime Information BureauOne of the Dark Fleet’s tankers, Progress, was picked up by a satellite.
A second ship, named Progress, also recently signaled “not in command” while in the Mediterranean. Records show this has been updated “during injury or repair,” Douglas said.
Satellite images also show that it is facing a different direction than its actual flight direction.
Michelle Bockman, a senior analyst at Windward, said Progress is likely heading to India or China with Russian crude.
Meanwhile, the Chariot Tide is being pursued in international waters by a Spanish search and rescue vessel.
Bockman said the Chariot Tide had a false flag bound for Mozambique and, like many Dark Fleet vessels, was uninsured. When an oil spill occurs, who pays for the cleanup becomes complicated.
“The Dark Fleet was an accident that was bound to happen, and in some ways it’s not surprising that the ships are experiencing mechanical problems,” Bockman said.
