First Supertanker to Be Scrapped in Two Years Is a Dark Ship

(Bloomberg) — The Amor, a Cameroon-flagged vessel known to have transported Iranian oil, has become the first supertanker to be registered for demolition in more than two years, a sign that increased scrutiny on ships hauling sanctioned crude is raising pressure on operators.

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The 24-year-old very large crude carrier was sold to an Indian scrapyard last week, according to a BRS Shipbrokers report and scrap dealer Wirana Shipping Corporation. This would be the first recorded, planned demolition of a VLCC since late 2022, when the Uranus was sent for disposal, according to ship-breaking data and BRS.

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The scrapping of large ships became increasingly rare since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent imposition of Western sanctions on Moscow, which dramatically expanded demand for tankers to ferry restricted oil around the world. To support exports from the OPEC+ producer and from Iran, a plethora of private businesses stepped in to buy cheap, aging vessels — even two decades old and more — forming a “dark” fleet and keeping tankers afloat long past their usual lifespan.

Amor’s age, flag and other characteristics match those of this shadow flotilla. It was also included by the US Energy Information Administration in an October list of vessels involved in the export and sale of Iranian crude, though it hasn’t been blacklisted by US authorities. 

The specific reason that prompted owners to tag Amor for disposal is not clear. Certainly, many dark-fleet tankers are much older and still in operation. But the decision comes as shippers report that tighter Western sanctions on shadow vessels have rattled the market and prompted operators to leave these ships idle at sea, or to shun them altogether. Weakening oil demand is also weighing on tanker rates that slumped in recent weeks as operator struggle to find work for their fleet.

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“With Chinese demand and OPEC supply rangebound at best, and intensifying vessel-specific sanctions, VLCCs are under particular pressure. A clean-up of the aging fleet via scrappage is clearly due,” said David Wech, chief economist at analytics firm Vortexa.

In these conditions, scrapping older tankers can make sense, shipbrokers say — but must also be done fast. Once a ship appears on the Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, blacklist, its scrap value tends to plummet. Mainstream dealers and yards shy away from taking such vessels as they could run the risk of facing secondary sanctions, according to BRS.

Amor Fleet Inc. and Valiant Marine Ventures FZE, who are listed on maritime database Equasis as the Amor’s owner and its manager respectively, do not list a phone number or email address, and it was not immediately possible to contact either. Calls and emails to the operator of the United Arab Emirates free-trade zone where the two are registered, Sharjah International Airport Free Zone, went unanswered. 

Amor is known to have structural problems, which may have added to a broader struggle to secure bookings. Earlier this year, a Chinese port detained the ship for deficiencies including structural issues, fire safety concerns, and problems with markings that denote how much load it was carrying, according to Equasis.

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In recent months, the US, UK and European Union have been sanctioning more individual vessels suspected of transporting sensitive cargoes, expanding the number of vessels considered “dark” and adding to downward pressure on freight rates. Fees have already been compressed by weak demand from China, whose refineries are key consumers for both Russia and Iran.

Since early October, US sanctions have focused on individual ships that transport Iranian crude. At least 60 million barrels’ worth of shipping capacity across more than 30 supertankers has been added to the dark-fleet pool, according to Bloomberg calculations. That compares with China’s consumption of 52 million barrels per month of Iranian crude, based on the latest three-month average shown by data provider Kpler. 

That is not expected to ease in 2025. US President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser has vowed a “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.

Amor could yet be pulled back into service, of course. Until the boat arrives, either the dealer in the giant scrapyard in Alang, in the Indian state of Gujarat, or the shipowner could still go back on the deal. 

Amor’s signals currently suggest it is off Khor Fakkan, in the United Arab Emirates.

—With assistance from Sarah Chen.

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