A Venezuelan-owned VLCC is reported to be heading to Asia with up to 2m barrels of crude as the South American nation looks to break the stranglehold of US sanctions.

The 320,800-dwt Maksim Gorky (built 2013) is bound for Singapore, according to AIS data and Refinitiv Eikon data.

This is believed to be the vessel’s first international voyage since the US imposed sanctions on state-run Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), Reuters reported.