Cargoes of Russia’s Flagship Crude Oil at Sea Climb to Record High

The Russian vessel Tantal, an oil/chemical tanker, is seen at sea outside the far eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia, on Oct. 9, 2017. Stringer/Reuters

Some 62 million barrels of Russia’s flagship Urals crude oil, a record amount, are sitting in vessels at sea, data from energy analytics firm Vortexa showed, as traders struggled to find buyers for the crude.

The United States and other countries have banned imports of Russian crude and oil products over its invasion of Ukraine, and others have avoided acquiring cargoes out of fear of future sanctions. The European Commission is considering an embargo of Russian oil.