The Skipper, a large crude carrier linked to Venezuela, was seized by the US on December 10 and has now arrived at the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA) near Houston. Due to the shallow waters of the Houston ship channel, very large crude carriers must transfer their oil to smaller tankers at GOLA, as they cannot navigate the channel directly.
In a recent television interview, Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, revealed that the first two oil tankers seized were involved in the black market, supplying oil to countries facing sanctions. This highlights the ongoing efforts by US authorities to clamp down on illegal oil trade.
Hassett reassured the public during his appearance on CBS’s "Face the Nation," stating that the seizures should not raise concerns about rising oil prices in the US. He emphasized that the number of affected vessels is limited and that they were operating outside legal channels. This suggests that the impact on the broader market will be minimal, as these ships were not part of legitimate trade.
