Talisman diverts to Algeria as Russia diesel deal falters

The sanctioned Russian tanker Talisman left the Atlantic on Tuesday. No confirmed buyer. No discharge port. Its AIS destination is showing 'for orders' as it idles off Algeria's coast.

A second tanker, Leruo, changed its destination from the US East Coast to Brazil on November 2. Leruo is owned by a Hong Kong company and sails under the Sierra Leone flag.

Both tankers were part of a fleet heading toward the United States under a deal announced after an October 9 call between President Trump and President Putin. The US Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing Russian-origin diesel imports through April 7, 2027, but buyers on the American side grew cautious once New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned port operators against handling the cargoes and cited a 2022 federal law that she argues bars Russian fuel imports regardless of any executive license.

Talisman is under US, UK, and EU sanctions. Leruo is on UK, EU, and Canadian lists. A Senate committee opened an oversight inquiry, ordering banks, port operators, and trading firms to preserve documents.

A third tanker, Agioi Fanendes, still appears to be heading toward the US. It is also signaling 'for orders.' The Greece-linked tanker dropped its New York destination and anchored off Denmark in late October before resuming its Atlantic crossing.

A fourth tanker, Beast, left Russia's Primorsk port October 27. It is signaling 'Atlantic.' Whether it reaches US waters is unknown.

US diesel inventories fell below 100 million barrels for the first time in more than two decades, according to the Financial Times. The administration framed the deal as a way to ease fuel prices at home. The first tranche of cargoes represented about 13 percent of the 300,000 metric tons promised in October.