Sanctioned Tankers Begin to React to Adani’s Ban from Indian Ports
Days after India’s large private port operator, Adani Group, was reported to have issued a ban on handling sanctioned tankers, it appears to have impacted one vessel. Others, however, are still proceeding to India and Adani’s Mundra port in northwest India.
Mundra is a major economic gateway that Adani reports caters to northern India with multimodal connectivity. The deep draft, all-weather port is the largest commercial port in India, and it includes the MPT-1 terminal, which is equipped with four dedicated berths specifically designed for the handling of liquid cargoes. It plays a key role in India’s oil imports and contributed to India becoming the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil. Mundra, according to media reports, handles around 180,000 barrels of oil per day.
Media reports revealed that Adani Group had sent a memorandum last week informing all customers and port agents that it had decided to ban all sanctioned tankers from its terminals. The group said it would be observing the sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
Analysts have been watching closely to see if the ban would be enforced, and over the weekend, Reuters reported that one tanker proceeded to the terminal, but another shadow fleet tanker appeared to be diverting from Adani’s Mundra terminal. Asked by the Indian media, a spokesperson for Adani said the ban was in effect for future sailings and that they would still accept tankers that were en route when the ban was announced.
The crude oil tanker Spartan (158,070 dwt) reached Mundra and offloaded a reported 1 million barrels. The ship, which was built in 2010, departed Mundra on September 16 bound for the Suez Canal. The ship is now registered in Oman and managed from Dubai. It previously sailed for Sovcomflot SCF. The tanker was sanctioned in December 2024 by the United Kingdom, European Union, and Switzerland for its involvement in the Russian oil trade.
Another tanker operating since July as the Noble Walker, however, has changed destinations away from Mundra. The vessel departed Primorsk, Russia, on August 21. Built in 2004, it is owned by a Chinese company but reports sailing under the flag of Aruba. Equisis lists it as a false flag. The ship was sanctioned by the UK at the end of 2024 and by the EU and Canada in 2025. Its AIS signal switched and now shows the tanker bound for Vadinar, India, which is a state-run port.
India continues to be under pressure from the West to curtail its imports of Russian oil. Last month, Donald Trump doubled the US’s tariff on India to 50 percent as punishment for its purchases of Russian oil. The U.S. is holding out the prospects of a new tariff deal with India, with reports that representatives of the two countries were meeting today, September 16, to lay the groundwork for the next round of negotiations.