MV Sorocaima

History
Name|

* Colon (2020–present)
* Arita (2015–2020)
* Sorocaima (2015)
* IMICO Bushehr (2013–2015)

Owner| Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.
Port of registry|

*  Togo (2020–present)
*  Venezuela (2020)
*  Panama (2017–2020)
*  Iran (2015–2017)
*  Venezuela (2015)

Builder| SADRA, Iran
Yard number| 85505
Launched| 24 July 2012
In service| 2018–present
Identification|

* IMO number: 9503574
* MMSI number: 671268100
* Callsign: 5VHZ7

General characteristics
Type| Aframax
Tonnage|

* 64,121 GT
* 113,000 DWT

Length| 250 m (820 ft 3 in)
Beam| 44 m (144 ft 4 in)
Height| 21 m (68 ft 11 in)

MV Colon—earlier Arita and Sorocaima—is a crude oil tanker of the Venezuelan PDVSA.

Launched in 2012 by Iranian shipyard SADRA in Bushehr, it was the first Aframax built in the country, as well as the largest ship ever produced in the whole Middle East.[1]

## Construction

[edit]

In 2009, the national Venezuelaian oil company PDVSA signed an agreement with Iran Marine Industrial Company (SADRA), to build four Aframax tankers at an estimated cost of $200 million.[2] While the shipbuilding company was under sanctions imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department, it launched the vessel Sorocaima on 24 July 2012.[3] In October 2013, Reuters reported that oil tankers ordered by PDVSA, including Sorocaima, had not been delivered albeit being completed.[4] Qobad Choubdar, head of SADRA's board of directors told media that delivery of the vessel has been delayed "because the buyer failed to meet its financial commitment and negotiations are underway to settle the issue".[2]

## Service

[edit]

Chris Biggers wrote in Bellingcat that AIS data indicates that the vessel has been berthing in Bushehr since 2014, and as of November 2015 she was flying the Iranian flag under the name Arita. He commented that she may have been enlisted into Iran's own commercial fleet.[5] Shipping news service TradeWinds reported in January 2018 that the ship has finally entered service with Malaysian ownership and Hong Kong management,[6] later disclosing in February 2019 that it has officially joined the fleet of PDVSA.[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Harmer, Christopher (June 2013), Iranian Naval and Maritime Strategy, Middle East Security Reports, vol. 13, Institute for the Study of War, p. 31, JSTOR resrep07898
2. ^ a b "SADRA Completing Aframax-2", Financial Tribune, 16 June 2015, retrieved 5 January 2021
3. ^ Torbati, Yeganeh; Saul, Jonathan (24 July 2012), Hardy, William (ed.), "Iran launches its first home built oil tanker", Reuters, retrieved 5 January 2021
4. ^ Castilla, Juliana; Stanway, David (1 October 2013), Wallis, Daniel; Wade, Terry; Henderson, Peter; Urquhart, Michael (eds.), "Despite launch parties, Venezuelan oil tankers never set sail", Reuters, retrieved 5 January 2021
5. ^ Biggers, Chris (13 November 2015), "The Iranian-built Sorocaima Reflagged", Bellingcat, retrieved 5 January 2021
6. ^ Boonzaier, Jonathan (11 January 2018), "First Iranian-built aframax finally goes into service", TradeWinds, retrieved 5 January 2021
7. ^ Boonzaier, Jonathan (4 February 2019), "Iranian-built aframax emerges under Venezuelan ownership", TradeWinds, retrieved 5 January 2021