The Mellitah Oil and Gas Complex has recently made headlines for its refusal to supply the crude oil tanker “Proteus Philippa” with a fuel shipment due to the vessel’s previous visit to the Israeli-occupied port of “Haifa.”
The American Bloomberg Agency revealed that the “Proteus Philippa” arrived at the Mellitah port earlier this week, intending to load 600,000 barrels of fuel. However, the complex’s authorities promptly denied entry and loading privileges after confirming the tanker’s prior stop in Haifa.
With ongoing aggression against Gaza, port authorities have intensified inspections of vessels. Bloomberg predicted that this specific event does not necessarily signal a broader shift in approach by other Arab countries. To circumvent these stringent checks, the agency revealed that some shipbrokers and tanker owners employ deceptive tactics. Notably, certain vessels bound for Israeli ports disable their transponder radars, obscuring their movements. Such maneuvers aim to avoid detection by regional authorities.
The “Proteus Philippa” loaded crude oil from Gabon between September 8 and 10. Upon reaching the Mediterranean, it transmitted a signal to the port of Haifa on September 25. This connection to an Israeli port triggered the recent refusal by the Mellitah Complex.
