oil tankers

Oil tanker rates spike as US push into Venezuela redraws flows

The global oil industry is working through the consequences of Washington’s move earlier this month

China last year was the first destination of Venezuela’s oil with some 642,000 bpd exported.

Supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U-turns, ship data shows

[HOUSTON] Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to pick up debt-paying crude cargoes made U-turns and were headed back to Asia, LSEG shipping data showed on Monday, a sign that...

Panama's maritime authority also said the Bella-1, a Russian-flagged tanker the US seized the same day near Iceland after a two-week pursuit, was once listed on the country’s registry.

Panama says it cancelled flag of US-seized oil tanker a year ago

[PANAMA CITY] Panama’s maritime authority on Thursday said it had cancelled in January of last year the flag of the M Sophia, a Venezuela-linked oil tanker seized by the US military this week.

The operation took place after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1 (top) slipped through a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean and rebuffed US Coast Guard efforts to board it.

US seizes Russian-flagged tanker, another tied to Venezuela as Trump widens oil push

It appears to be the first time in recent memory that the US military has seized a Russian-flagged vessel

An oil tanker near the Bajo Grande port in Venezuela. China has criticised the US quarantine on Venezuelan ports as “unilateral bullying”.

US sanctions Chinese companies, tankers with Venezuela links

The move could be a signal to Beijing to steer clear of the stand-off between Trump and Maduro

The Panama-flagged Centuries was intercepted by the US Coast Guard on Dec 20, 2025.

Loaded supertanker returns to Venezuelan waters amid US interceptions: TankerTrackers.com

PANAMA-FLAGGED crude carrier Kelly, which had departed from Venezuela carrying oil last week, has returned to Venezuelan waters following the US interception of more tankers, monitoring service Tanker...

Brent crude futures rose 44 cents, or 0.73 per cent, to US$60.91 per barrel by 0141 GMT on Monday.

Oil up on news the US intercepted an oil tanker off Venezuela

[SINGAPORE] Oil prices rose on Monday (Dec 22) after officials said the US had intercepted an oil tanker in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, raising fresh supply uncertainty.

An oil tanker is seen from the Lake Maracaibo boardwalk in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Dec 17, 2025. The US is in pursuit of an oil tanker flying under a false flag in Venezuela.

US still in pursuit of third oil tanker in Venezuela blockade

THE US is still in pursuit of a third oil tanker near Venezuela, according to a US official, as President Donald Trump intensifies an oil blockade on Nicolás Maduro’s government. 

The seized oil tanker, Centuries, is a Chinese-owned, Panama-flagged oil tanker, according to TankerTrackers.

US again seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

THE United States “apprehended” an oil tanker off Venezuela on Saturday (Dec 20), a move Caracas deemed a “theft and kidnapping”, in the latest salvo of a pressure campaign by Washington, the US gover...