Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker Diverts to Vadinar After Adani Port Ban

The crude oil tanker Noble Walker, carrying about one million barrels of Russian crude for HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), has changed course to India’s Vadinar port after Adani Group barred entry of blacklisted vessels at its Mundra port. The vessel, owned by Mancera Shipping, had originally been headed to Mundra, according to ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler.

The Noble Walker has been blacklisted by the European Union and Britain for transporting sanctioned Russian oil. Adani Group last week ordered that vessels sanctioned by the EU, Britain, or the United States would not be permitted entry at any of its 14 ports, including Mundra. HMEL, which frequently uses Mundra for crude imports, has not commented on the diversion.

India has emerged as the largest buyer of Russian seaborne oil since Western sanctions followed Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, New Delhi has tightened monitoring of vessels and transactions involving Russian crude. Another blacklisted tanker, Spartan, carrying one million barrels of Russian oil, was reported anchored near Mundra on Monday.

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