"Jag" oil spill off the coast of Turkey

11 February tankerJag, operated by an Indian shipowner and carrying Russian oil, had a malfunction while bunkering off the coast of Istanbul resulting in a spill. The Turkish Directorate-General for Coast Security (KEGM) has informed of the deployment of rescue units in order to minimise the effects of the environmental disaster.

As Western media reports,Jaghe avoided Turkish ports and sailed mainly on routes that are associated with Russian oil transport. At the time of the incident, the unit bunkered oil from the shipGokdeniz, as confirmed by photos published online and AIS data. The leak occurred at the Ahirkapi anchorage, one of the key parking points for tankers passing through the Turkish straits. KEGM did not give any information about the amount of oil that leaked. Rescue units to the siteKEGM- 3andKEGM-4, as well as a tugboat and a barge.

TankerJag– history of deficiencies

Built in 2005Jaghad many owners and operators. Since 2023 it has been registered under the flag of Liberia, and its current manager is the Indian company Rhine Marine Services. The ship with a load capacity of 70 400 DWT regularly flew to Russian ports – in October 2023 it transported oil from Primorska to Brazilian Paranagua.

The history of tanker inspections raises serious doubts about its technical condition. The last inspection, carried out in 2023 in Jordan's port of Akaba, showed 12 deficiencies, including a malfunctioning emergency generator, malfunctioning fire doors and powertrain problems. The condition of the engine room also left much to be desired – oil pollution and traces of leakage were reported.

No official information on the contamination scale

KEGM did not provide further details on the size of the leak or the potential environmental effects. AIS signal indicates that the unitJagit remains on an anchor off the coast of Istanbul, suggesting ongoing efforts to remove spillage effects and possible inspection of the unit.

Broader context: opaque Russian oil trade

Incident on 11 FebruaryJagIt sheds light on an increasingly complex network of Russian "shadow floats", which transports oil and regularly changes owners to circumvent sanctions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Such situations raise serious concerns about safety standards for shipping in the region.

Turkish services continue their efforts to reduce the spillage effects, but the question remains: will this disaster have consequences for the operation of the tanker and its operator?

Written by Marcin Szywala

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