Pouring Oil on Troubled Waters

Old oil tankers are no longer always scrapped. They're often registered under a new 'convenience flag'; renamed and go off to join the 'shadow tankers'. These 'shadow tankers' run crude oil from sanctioned countries to folk who like a cheap deal and don't ask too many questions (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/18/how-a-burnt-out-abandoned-ship-reveals-the-secrets-of-a-shadow-tanker-network). The 'shadow tankers' are estimated to be roughly 20% of the crude oil tanker fleet. These 600 or so vessels, are clandestine and operate outside the normal regulations. These tankers are uninsured as sanctioned oil can't be. So, when there's a disaster (an explosion, a collision or a grounding), nobody's responsible for the clean up. This 'shadow tanker fleet' is effectively a floating environmental threat.