What's not to continue?
The smartmeters stuff are just links, why include them if nobody checked them out?
Sanctioned Russian Tanker ‘Seahorse’ Reaches Venezuela Following Earlier U.S. Navy Blockade
Malte Humpert November 24, 2025
The Russian oil tanker Seahorse arrived in Venezuelan waters on November 23 ship tracking data show suggesting that initial reports last week of a U.S. Navy blockade against the vessel may have been premature.
In mid-November, vessel-tracking data showed that the Seahorse, previously used to carry naphtha from Russia, altered course after the U.S. destroyer USS Stockdale moved into its path near Venezuela. The Stockdale arrived in the Caribbean waters in September in support of President Donald Trump’s growing anti-narcotics operations in the region.
The tanker departed from Cuba’s Port of Matanzas on November 9 before making a U-turn on November 14 after encountering the Stockdale. It subsequently made two more cautious approaches toward Venezuelan waters to the north of Aruba on November 16 and November 17, which again led to a course reversal after interceptions by the U.S. destroyer. After several days of circling in international waters it appears to have reached its destination at the oil tanker loading complex at Puerto José over the weekend.
The Seahorse, part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” is subject to sanctions from the EU and the U.K., though the vessel has not been sanctioned by the U.S.’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The tanker is said to be transporting naphtha to Venezuela, a light distillate used to dilute the country’s extra-heavy crude before export.
Analysts say that while the U.S. destroyer’s movements may have been intended as a deterrent, they did not amount to a formal or permanent blockade.
U.S. Southern Command declined to comment on whether the Stockdale physically blocked the tanker or merely shadowed its movements. There has been growing uncertainty about U.S. rules of engagement in the Caribbean following more than a dozen strikes on vessels allegedly used for drug trafficking.
Thus far Moscow or Caracas have remained publicly reticent about the events surrounding the Seahorse and Stockdale and have not given any indications that U.S. warships in the area may be influencing Russia’s dark fleet activity going forward.
https://gcaptain.com/sanctioned-russian-tanker-seahorse-reaches-venezuela-following-earlier-u-s-navy-blockade/
Poor quality here. Headline says sanctioned tanker and earlier blockade. First sentence "reports last week of a U.S. Navy blockade against the vessel may have been premature." Then it's ship is subject to sanctions, but has not been sanctioned by the U.S.’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
>How exactly will they take on a tornado, or a flood?
fans, sponges
First "land acknowledgements" must be done
Would be a nice Canadian "sorry" moment if places under Aboriginal Title get told they're on their own because "decolonization"
Looks like a paperback book to me
Still profitable in Morocco
Indonesia to Auction US-Sanctioned Supertanker It Seized in 2023
By Weilun Soon and Eko Listiyorini Bloomberg November 24, 2025
Nov 24, 2025 (Bloomberg) –The Indonesian government is auctioning off a US-sanctioned supertanker and its cargo of crude oil for at least $70 million, according to government documents seen by Bloomberg News.
The Arman 114, a very-large crude carrier flagged to Iran, was seized by Indonesia in 2023 for allegedly transferring oil to another tanker and spilling some in the process. The vessel, currently at Batu Ampar port in Batam, is being offered up for auction by the Attorney General’s Office, according to a government filing and a statement issued by the agency.
The sum that Indonesia’s AGO is seeking for the 1997-built tanker includes the 167,000 tons of light crude it’s carrying, according to documents. While officials did not comment on the origins of the fuel, ship-tracking data from Kpler and Vortexa showed the vessel had received Iranian crude before getting apprehended.
Indonesia’s highly unusual move comes as countries and shippers fret over how to handle aging, sanctioned vessels that are part of a growing dark fleet carrying fuel from producers like Iran, Russia and Venezuela to buyers around the world. Increasing Western pressure on Russia and Iran’s oil exports in recent months has forced key Asian buyers to turn away from the trade.
Read More: Dismantling Dark Fleet Leaves India at Risk of Trump’s Ire
About 80% the roughly 1,140 tankers in the dark fleet are sanctioned, BRS Shipbrokers said in an August report. The proportion has likely increased since then as new restrictions have been rolled out by the US, EU, and UK. The addition of blacklisted tonnage means that while the flow of sensitive crude remains steady, there are now more such vessels competing for those same cargoes.
Meanwhile, legitimate scrapyards and brokers have also stayed away from buying sanctioned ships for scrap for fear of secondary sanctions. Still, this year saw a marked rise in the number of US-sanctioned tankers being sold to scrapyards in India — one of the world’s largest ship-dismantling centers — with the help of shadowy traders and payment set-ups.
A 15-year-old VLCC can sell for around $59 million, according to shipbrokers, a newbuild for around $126 million, while selling an aging VLCC for dismantling could fetch around $16 million.
Indonesia said the successful bidder will have to bear all costs related to the asset in maintenance, repairs and security, and must move the tanker within 30 days, according to the filing. The document did not specify what the bidder must do with the tanker and the crude onboard.
Indonesia’s AGO did not respond to a request for comment.
https://gcaptain.com/indonesia-to-auction-us-sanctioned-supertanker-it-seized-in-2023/