Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed everything for the tanker market, not least the composition of US broker Poten & Partners’ annual list of the biggest crude vessel charterers.

China's Unipec remained in the top spot last year, but Russian oil company Lukoil has disappeared from the top 20.

After the war started in February, western countries unleashed a barrage of sanctions on Russian companies and buying or shipping Russian oil became controversial, the US broker pointed out.