The two vessels based in the north of the country to provide floating bunkering service have anchored near the capital Male'.
According to vessel tracking sites such as Vesselfinder and Marine Traffic, the 3258-tonne MT Angel and the 3939-tonne MT Marine Bella are now off the coast of Gulhifalhu.
MT Angel arrived near Male' on October 27. The ship departed from Kulhudhuffushi on October 20.
MT Bella arrived in the Male' area on November 5. The ship travelled to Vaavu atoll in October. It returned near Male' on November 4 and made a trip to the south of Male' atoll.
It is unclear why the two ships have been in the Male' area for so many days. State Trading Organization (STO) has not commented on the matter.
Location of the two vessels. -- Photo: Marine Traffic
The bunkering service was launched on September 19 by STO and Vitol, which also provides bunkering services in Singapore, the UAE and Mauritius.
The first ship to have obtained the service was YC Barrier operated by Maldives State Shipping (MSS), a subsidiary of STO.
YC Barrier had previously been bunkering from Colombo. The ship has a capacity of 1,100 containers and uses 200 tonnes of oil per month.
The government claimed that more than 300 vessels cross the 8-degree channel between the Maldives and India every month and that the bunkering service will bring in MVR 400 million annually to the economy.
However, nearly two months after the bunkering service was launched, no foreign ships travelling through the 8-degree channel have been refuelled in the Maldives.
