希腊油轮改道绕过非洲以避免致命的红海袭击

由于胡塞武装的袭击日益频繁，运载俄罗斯原油前往亚洲的希腊籍油轮目前正避开红海。

这些船只改走绕过非洲、经由好望角的更长航线，以降低成为袭击目标的风险。

根据三位石油交易商提供的信息以及伦敦证券交易所集团（LSEG）的航运数据，诸如Minerva Elpida、Minerva Vera和Nissos Ios等油轮于6月底和7月初出发，正使用绕过非洲的南线航道驶往印度，这些油轮共运载了约30万吨俄罗斯乌拉尔原油。

此前，希腊运营的散货船遭遇了一系列袭击。

在最近的一起事件中，一艘悬挂利比里亚国旗的船只在也门海岸附近遭到无人机和快艇袭击，导致四名海员死亡。

在7月的另一起事件中，胡塞组织击沉了另一艘船只。

这个由伊朗支持的团体声称，这些袭击是为了在加沙持续的冲突中支持巴勒斯坦人。

尽管许多西方航运公司去年开始避开红海和苏伊士运河航线，但俄罗斯的石油运输基本上仍在继续。

这主要是由于俄罗斯与伊朗之间的密切关系，据信伊朗支持胡塞武装。

在目前改航的船只中，尼索斯·伊奥斯号是一艘悬挂马绍尔群岛国旗的苏伊士型油轮，可装载多达100万桶石油。

该油轮由Kyklades Maritime管理，并由挪威公司Gard提供保赔保险（P&I）。

“Minerva Elpida”是一艘挂有希腊国旗的阿芙拉型油轮，载油量为70万桶；“Minerva Vera”是一艘挂有马耳他国旗的苏伊士型油轮。

这两艘油轮均由Minerva Marine管理，并由NorthStandard承保。

然而，管理这些船舶的公司并未回应究竟是谁决定改变航线的相关问题。

目前尚不清楚是船东、租船人还是双方共同做出的决定。

挪威保险公司Gard指出，自2023年10月以来，来自同一船队的一些船只曾停靠以色列港口。

这些船只的港口停靠历史可能会使它们更容易成为胡塞武装的攻击目标。

与苏伊士运河航线相比，绕行好望角的航线所需时间大约增加一倍。

例如，原本通过红海仅需15天的欧洲航程，现在大约需要30天。

风险增加也导致战争险保费飙升，通常会使7天航程的保费增加数十万美元。

据NorthStandard报道，航线的选择通常由船东和租船公司共同讨论决定。

保赔协会和战争保险公司通常不会自行推荐或决定航线。

Greek-managed oil tankers carrying Russian crude oil to Asia are now avoiding the Red Sea due to increasing Houthi attacks. These vessels are instead sailing the much longer route around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to reduce the risk of being targeted.

According to information from three oil traders and shipping data from LSEG, tankers such as Minerva Elpida, Minerva Vera, and Nissos Ios, which are transporting a total of about 300,000 metric tons of Russian Urals crude, departed in late June and early July and are headed to India using the southern route around Africa.

This comes after a series of attacks on Greek-operated bulk carriers. In one recent case, a Liberian-flagged ship was hit by drones and speedboats off the coast of Yemen, killing four seafarers.

In another incident in July, the Houthi group sank a separate vessel. The Iran-backed group has claimed that the attacks are being carried out in support of Palestinians during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

While many Western shipping companies started avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal route last year, Russian oil shipments had largely continued. This was mainly due to the close relationship between Russia and Iran, which is believed to support the Houthis.

Among the vessels now rerouting, Nissos Ios is a Marshall Islands-flagged Suezmax tanker that can carry up to 1 million barrels of oil. It is managed by Kyklades Maritime and is insured by Norwegian firm Gard for protection and indemnity (P&I).

The Minerva Elpida, a Greek-flagged Aframax tanker with a 0.7 million barrel capacity, and the Malta-flagged Minerva Vera, also a Suezmax, are both managed by Minerva Marine and are insured by NorthStandard.

However, the companies managing these vessels did not respond to questions about who exactly made the decision to change the route. It remains unclear whether it was the shipowners, the charterers, or a joint decision.

Norwegian insurer Gard has pointed out that some ships from the same fleets have made calls to Israeli ports since October 2023. This history of port visits could make these vessels more likely to be targeted by the Houthis.

Taking the route around the Cape of Good Hope roughly doubles the travel time compared to the Suez Canal route. For example, voyages to Europe that typically take 15 days through the Red Sea now take around 30 days. The increased risk has also led to a sharp spike in war-risk insurance premiums, often adding several hundred thousand dollars to a 7-day voyage.

According to NorthStandard, routing decisions are generally made through discussions between the shipowners and the companies chartering the vessels. P&I clubs and war insurers do not usually recommend or decide the route themselves.