Ships passing the Yemeni coast often needed to refuel. Coming into port for “bunkering,” as the process of refueling a merchant vessel is called, cost time and therefore money. That created an opening, Ba’alawi explained. Vessel managers would pay a premium to avoid the delay, and with a license from the local authorities and a small tanker, it was possible to buy oil from the refinery in Aden, then resell it at a markup five or ten miles offshore.
