Singapore Detained Gatik Tanker in May Over Safety Issues

Singapore authorities detained one of the oil tankers from Gatik Ship Management's fleet, a major carrier of Russian oil to India, for three days last month over safety issues, according to port state control data from Tokyo MoU.

The Gabon-flagged tanker Lefkada was detained on May 11 after several deficiencies were found, the report from the leading port body showed.

They included maintenance of the ship and equipment, fire protection system and life-saving gear.

The ship was released on May 13 after the safety issues were rectified, a source familiar with the matter said.

The source added the inspection was part of random checks on ships.    

Lefkada was listed as managed by India-based Zidan Ship Management.

Zidan handles safety and environmental-related issues for the vessel, while commercial operations are managed by Gatik, according to public shipping database Equasis.

Gatik and Gabon's registry did not respond to requests for comment, while contact details for Zidan could not be found for comment.      

Mumbai-based Gatik emerged this year as a significant player in Russian oil transport and it has been reflagging and reclassifying its ships after several international agencies withdrew certification and insurance coverage.

The ship was en route to India after loading Russian Sokol crude near Yeosu port in South Korea, according to Kpler data.

The risk of accidents is in focus after the Pablo supertanker caught fire in waters off Malaysia's southern coast on May 1.

(Reuters - Reporting by Florence Tan and Jonathan Saul; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)