Oil tankers carrying enough crude to satisfy 20 per cent of the world’s consumption are gathered off California’s coast with nowhere to go as fuel demand collapses. The more than 20 million barrels of crude is the highest volume of crude to ever float off the West Coast at one time, with 27 vessels waiting in the area, as of Thursday afternoon. The Coast Guard is monitoring the increased presence of oil tanker vessels and has noted that “Due to the unique nature of this situation, the Coast Guard is constantly evaluating and adapting our procedures to ensure the safety of the vessels at anchor and the protection of the surrounding environment”.
