Russian Oil Transfers at Sea Shift Away From Spanish Enclave

  • STS transfers have moved from Ceuta to Atlantic islands
  • Move comes amid mounting pressure from local authorities

An oil tanker.

Photographer: Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

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The transfer of Russian crude between tankers at sea has shifted away from Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, amid mounting pressure from local authorities and European Union restrictions on transporting the oil.

No ship-to-ship transfers of Russia’s Urals grade have been observed at Ceuta since mid-April, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. Instead, some activity has moved to the Atlantic Ocean, near Cape Verde, the Canary Islands and the Azores.