"Pole Star Global assessed 29 Iranian vessels that went dark by switching off their satellite identification systems after the US first seized a Venezuelan tanker in December. Half were older than the 20-year recommended safe service life, the analysts said, and because they operate in the shadows, they are believed to be poorly maintained and could fail to meet international safety standards."
"The new analysis placed seven of the 29 vessels in an extreme risk category, being over 25 years old, while three were more than 30 years old. Five vessels were both ageing and in the very large crude carrier class, able to hold about 300,000 tonnes of oil. Shadow fleet tankers were usually uninsured, the analysts said, meaning that the cost of cleaning up a spill would fall on the country where the disaster occurred."
Decrepit oil tankers in Iran's shadow fleet operate with satellite identification switched off, creating poorly monitored vessels at sea. Twenty-nine Iranian ships went dark after the US seized a Venezuelan tanker, with about half surpassing the recommended 20-year safe service life and several exceeding 25 or 30 years. Five are very large crude carriers capable of carrying roughly 300,000 tonnes. Shadow fleet tankers are often uninsured, so cleanup costs would fall on the affected nation and could reach between $860m and $1.6bn. The global dark fleet comprises many hundreds of vessels and has caused numerous collisions and spills, including recent Russian incidents.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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