An Iranian crude oil tanker loaded with two million barrels of oil is heading to Asia after sitting in Iranian waters for months. The supertanker Starla is the first vessel storing crude offshore to sail after a nuclear deal this week, data showed on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Iran together with six others major world powers reached a landmark nuclear deal, giving an opportunity for an easing of international sanctions on Tehran and higher oil exports.
Image: Isna.ir
Iran is expected to make its major return to the market no earlier than the next year. Meanwhile, the country has been parking millions of barrels of oil onboard tankers in its waters that it could sell.
The supertanker Starla is operated by the leading oil shipping tanker group in Iran - the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC). Fully laden, the ship has been used for floating storage since December, 2014.
The crude oil tanker Starla is among 24 tankers storing Iranian oil. According to Bloomberg reports, the amount of Iranian oil stored on tankers now stands at about 51 million barrels.
The ship is believed that it could do an STS operations while at sea (ship-to-ship transfers of oil between two vessels), although it is still not confirmed.
According to VesselFinder data the vessel is sailing from the Middle East Gulf with a Singapore destination.