Oil Tanker

smudge7946

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

Addickted

There are. But this was an attempt to bust sanctions.

happyvalley

Thought  this thread was going to be about Ducktape.

Cafc43v3r

happyvalley said:

Thought  this thread was going to be about Ducktape.

I thought it was because Neil Redfern had been linked to Newcastle.  First person I think of when I hear oil tanker 

smudge7946

Addickted said:

There are. But this was an attempt to bust sanctions.

I've never smuggled oil either, but sailing 500 miles in the wrong direction with shonky gear isnt the greatest plan 

smudge7946

smudge7946 said:

Addickted said:

There are. But this was an attempt to bust sanctions.

I've never smuggled oil either, but sailing 500 miles in the wrong direction with shonky gear isnt the greatest plan 

Unless Dick Darstardly was sailing in a ship supplied by the Acme company. 

blackpool72

smudge7946 said:

smudge7946 said:

Addickted said:

There are. But this was an attempt to bust sanctions.

I've never smuggled oil either, but sailing 500 miles in the wrong direction with shonky gear isnt the greatest plan 

Unless Dick Darstardly was sailing in a ship supplied by the Acme company. 

Gibraltar was the nearest place they could buy quality toilet paper. 

Stig

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

I understand that it's quite a common thing for a ship's destination to change several times during a voyage.  A mate of mine was in the merchant navy and worked a lot on a ship that exported tropical hardwoods out of West Africa. He told me that many times the entire cargo would be sold on to someone who was willing to pay a higher price, the ship would be turned around and they'd head off elsewhere. On more than one occasion he spent weeks bobbing about mid-Atlantic as ownership of the cargo switched between various American and European buyers.  

Not saying that's what happened with the oil tanker, but it does happen.

RodneyCharltonTrotta

Stig said:

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

I understand that it's quite a common thing for a ship's destination to change several times during a voyage.  A mate of mine was in the merchant navy and worked a lot on a ship that exported tropical hardwoods out of West Africa. He told me that many times the entire cargo would be sold on to someone who was willing to pay a higher price, the ship would be turned around and they'd head off elsewhere. On more than one occasion he spent weeks bobbing about mid-Atlantic as ownership of the cargo switched between various American and European buyers.  

Not saying that's what happened with the oil tanker, but it does happen.

Remember reading once that ships were used to manipulate the commodities markets i.e. a container ship known for transporting wheat would leave empty on the pretence it was being full and it would cause a spike in the market.  Something along those lines anyway from what i recall

Lincsaddick

the tanker avoided using the Suez Canal in an attempt to bamboozle the CIA or whoever is watching Iran's commercial activities.
A long voyage round the cape of good hope, then along the west African coast and into the Med was designed to disguise the true destination, i.e. Syria .. it didn't work

Valiantphil

Tankers regularly fill up and head for the waters around Gib to wait for a destination - as most oil is purchased in advance, sometimes they sit there full for a couple of days waiting for the price to rise / highest bidder. It’s a game of fine margins, but brokers make a living out if it. 

For the military geeks among you, the marines flew in on a transport plane about 9pm on Sunday, brought their helicopters with them I guess.  It’s all unloaded on the other side of the airport in the military zone out of sight. 

se9addick

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

The only quicker route would be via the Suez Canal but a tanker of that size wouldn’t fit through there so has to take the kong way round which crosses Gibraltarian waters. 

ColinTat

Alan Kernaghan

ValleyGary

Stig said:

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

I understand that it's quite a common thing for a ship's destination to change several times during a voyage.  A mate of mine was in the merchant navy and worked a lot on a ship that exported tropical hardwoods out of West Africa. He told me that many times the entire cargo would be sold on to someone who was willing to pay a higher price, the ship would be turned around and they'd head off elsewhere. On more than one occasion he spent weeks bobbing about mid-Atlantic as ownership of the cargo switched between various American and European buyers.  

Not saying that's what happened with the oil tanker, but it does happen.

Sounds familiar.....

Addickted

se9addick said:

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

The only quicker route would be via the Suez Canal but a tanker of that size wouldn’t fit through there so has to take the kong way round which crosses Gibraltarian waters. 

You could always go overland via Iraq. Or use tankers with a draft of under 66 feet.

Stig

ValleyGary said:

Stig said:

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

I understand that it's quite a common thing for a ship's destination to change several times during a voyage.  A mate of mine was in the merchant navy and worked a lot on a ship that exported tropical hardwoods out of West Africa. He told me that many times the entire cargo would be sold on to someone who was willing to pay a higher price, the ship would be turned around and they'd head off elsewhere. On more than one occasion he spent weeks bobbing about mid-Atlantic as ownership of the cargo switched between various American and European buyers.  

Not saying that's what happened with the oil tanker, but it does happen.

Sounds familiar.....

Funnily enough, there is actually a certain resemblance.

Baldybonce

Spain are cry babies.

Lincsaddick

se9addick said:

smudge7946 said:

Well done to the Marines for seizing that oil tanker. 

Serious question. What was an Iranian oil tanker en route to Syria doing in Gibraltar?
That's a serious sat nav fail. 

I'm no oil logistics expert, but there must be quicker, easier and less expensive ways of getting oil from Iran to Syria. 

The only quicker route would be via the Suez Canal but a tanker of that size wouldn’t fit through there so has to take the kong way round which crosses Gibraltarian waters. 

you sure about that ? .. the 'experts' were saying in the media that the tanker could have travelled via Suez

https://www.answers.com/Q/What_maximum_weight_ships_are_allowed_in_the_Suez_Canal

RedChaser

ColinTat said:

Alan Kernaghan

Very good Colin, totally lost on the under 30's though  .

se9addick

Seems like Iran have made us look very naive and weak over this situation. 

Baldybonce

se9addick said:

Seems like Iran have made us look very naive and weak over this situation. 

The political laughing stock of the world at the moment.

Addickted

Meanwhile the seized British oil tanker, the Stena Impero, still remains in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

LMHR

I was on shell tankers for a couple of years and we would get diverted constantly . Never knew where we would end up .
Shipping is constantly monitored. They where hardly sneaking a tanker through the straights of Gibraltar 

Valiantphil

The Gov of Iran gave The Gib PM a written assurance on headed paper that the cargo was not for Syria. 
That’s about as high a profile assurance you can get from a National Gov, so not much they could do about holding the ship. 
The lads had been aboard and hidden all sorts of tracking and listening stuff, so if Iran breaks its promise - they will look worse on the world stage than Gib/UK. 

smudge7946

Valiantphil said:

The Gov of Iran gave The Gib PM a written assurance on headed paper that the cargo was not for Syria. 
That’s about as high a profile assurance you can get from a National Gov, so not much they could do about holding the ship. 
The lads had been aboard and hidden all sorts of tracking and listening stuff, so if Iran breaks its promise - they will look worse on the world stage than Gib/UK. 

A double extra stick a needle in my eye super promise on headed paper from Iran; Problem solved.

Valiantphil

If the super powers were that worried - all they have to do is buy the ship. 

Addickted

Valiantphil said:

If the super powers were that worried - all they have to do is buy the ship. 

They tried that one.

Then they tried to bribe the Captain with millions$$$ - that didn't work either.

Stu_of_Kunming

se9addick said:

Seems like Iran have made us look very naive and weak over this situation. 

I'm not sure what we choice we had though.

se9addick

Valiantphil said:

The Gov of Iran gave The Gib PM a written assurance on headed paper that the cargo was not for Syria. 
That’s about as high a profile assurance you can get from a National Gov, so not much they could do about holding the ship. 
The lads had been aboard and hidden all sorts of tracking and listening stuff, so if Iran breaks its promise - they will look worse on the world stage than Gib/UK. 

Well if it was on headed paper...

Valiantphil

se9addick said:

Valiantphil said:

The Gov of Iran gave The Gib PM a written assurance on headed paper that the cargo was not for Syria. 
That’s about as high a profile assurance you can get from a National Gov, so not much they could do about holding the ship. 
The lads had been aboard and hidden all sorts of tracking and listening stuff, so if Iran breaks its promise - they will look worse on the world stage than Gib/UK. 

Well if it was on headed paper...

That is the precise point made by the Chief Minister - it's an official Gov to Gov promise, so nothing Gib can do about it.

Added to Gib not wanting to make enemies - they already have one on the doorstep.
At least 7 nationalities and 5 religions live there in peace, side by side.

se9addick

Valiantphil said:

se9addick said:

Valiantphil said:

The Gov of Iran gave The Gib PM a written assurance on headed paper that the cargo was not for Syria. 
That’s about as high a profile assurance you can get from a National Gov, so not much they could do about holding the ship. 
The lads had been aboard and hidden all sorts of tracking and listening stuff, so if Iran breaks its promise - they will look worse on the world stage than Gib/UK. 

Well if it was on headed paper...

That is the precise point made by the Chief Minister - it's an official Gov to Gov promise, so nothing Gib can do about it.

Added to Gib not wanting to make enemies - they already have one on the doorstep.
At least 7 nationalities and 5 religions live there in peace, side by side.

Well you can now see that a promise from Iran isn’t worth the paper it’s written on - literally. Unbelievable that the Gib (and, by extension, the U.K.) government got played like this.