New Arctic Crude Deliveries Strengthen Moscow’s Presence in Syria

Syria has taken delivery of an additional 100 000 tons of Arctic crude oil from Russia. The Aframax tanker Sakina, with a deadweight of 106 061 tons, offloaded its cargo at Baniyas port on March 25, following a similar delivery made by the tanker Aquatica on March 21, which supplied 722 000 barrels.

Historically, Syria sourced much of its oil and fuel from Iran, receiving up to 100 000 barrels per day. However, these deliveries stopped after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Tehran.

Since then, Syria has been struggling to meet its energy needs and has worked to replace the lost Iranian supplies, especially after its largest refinery at Baniyas has been non-operational since December last year.

The recent shipments indicate Moscow’s desire to retain a military foothold in Syria, despite the Syrian government denying any formal agreements with Russia. Both tankers were refueled at the Umba storage tanker near Murmansk, Russia. The Umba and a nearby storage tanker named Kola, which can each store up to 300 000 tons, receive crude from three Arctic oil projects: Varandey, Prirazlomnoye, and Novy Port. Using ice-capable vessels, the crude oil is transported year-round from the frozen seas of Pechora and Kara to Murmansk before being sent to global markets.

It is important to note that the icebreaking shuttle tankers, the storage units Umba and Kola, as well as the tankers Sakina and Aquatica, are under US sanctions. Following the Biden Administration’s final round of sanctions on January 10, Russia has encountered further challenges in the sale of its crude, including its Arctic oil.