Former Dark Fleet Tanker Shifts to Iraqi Oil Trade
The supertanker Centuries has transitioned from transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude to hauling Iraqi oil after a previous interception by United States forces.
The supertanker Centuries has shifted its operations to transport Iraqi oil after previously operating within the sanctioned oil trade. The vessel was boarded by the United States Coast Guard in the Caribbean Sea in December 2025 while ferrying crude from Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.
Although the ship was never formally blacklisted, its age of over 25 years and its history of transporting sanctioned cargo categorized it as part of the dark fleet. The transition to Middle Eastern routes indicates a move toward more mainstream trade, driven by global oil shortages and the profitability of the Hormuz trade.
