Iran Exempts Iraq from Shipping Restrictions in Strait of Hormuz
The Ocean Thunder crossed the Strait of Hormuz after Iran exempted its “brotherly” neighbour from shipping restrictions a day earlier.
A Suezmax oil tanker hauling about 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude exited the Persian Gulf via a northerly route through Iranian waters on Sunday morning, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The Ocean Thunder crossed the Strait of Hormuz after Iran exempted its “brotherly” neighbour from shipping restrictions a day earlier.
Transits Through Strait of Hormuz Pick Up
Transits through the critical waterway have been picking up in the past week, with data on Saturday showing the highest seven-day rolling average since the war began. Yet traffic remains at a trickle compared with prewar numbers.
It’s not yet clear whether the dispensation for Baghdad will apply to all ships calling at Iraqi ports, or how it will be enforced. At its broadest, the exemption could free up about 3 million barrels a day of oil exports from the country and allow it to restart production from shuttered fields — as long as shippers are willing to send their tankers into the Gulf.
Vessel-Tracking Data Reveals Low Traffic
A total of 16 ships have crossed the strait since Saturday morning, with 11 exiting the Gulf and five entering from the open seas, vessel-tracking data show. In normal times, about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait every day.
Iran Tightens Control Over Strait of Hormuz
Iran has moved to tighten its control over the waterway, setting up a tolling system and directing most vessels to take a specific route close to its border. In the past day, all recorded transits of large ships went through that narrow northern passage, situated between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm.
Tanker-Tracking Data Hampered by Electronic Interference
Tanker-tracking is hampered by electronic interference with ships’ signals, and some vessels disable their AIS transponders in high-risk waters, further reducing the timeliness and reliability of tracking data.
Original Article: Hormuz Tracker: Iraq-linked oil tanker exits Hormuz via Iran — Moneycontrol