Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO has identified several tankers suspected of loading petroleum products illegally from the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair, according to an official letter dated Sunday and seen by Reuters.
The tankers allegedly used advanced techniques such as Automatic Identification System spoofing to conceal their locations or alter their routes. SOMO said the vessels were not listed in its official loading schedules, raising concerns about unauthorized shipments.
“These activities are classified as high-risk and are suspected to involve illegal practices such as tampering with tracking systems or conducting unauthorized transfers,” SOMO said in the letter addressed to Iraq’s National Security Agency.
An annex to the letter listed 11 tankers suspected of involvement: Flora Dolce, Mackerel, Chandrama, Padmanabh, Pontus, Ocean Guardian, Al Safa, Hulda, Ultostratos, Invictus, and Lanikai.
Two officials at the Oil Ministry and a SOMO official confirmed the authenticity of the letter.
The warning comes amid heightened scrutiny of illicit oil flows in the region. Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury imposed new sanctions targeting entities involved in Iran’s oil trade, including firms accused of helping Tehran move sanctioned crude through deceptive shipping practices such as ship-to-ship transfers and falsified documentation.
SOMO called on Iraqi authorities to take appropriate action to protect the country’s oil resources.
SOMO was not immediately available for comment.
(Reuters)