Saudi Oil Tankers Exit Red Sea Amid Maritime Embargo
Two tankers carrying Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend, while traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed following reports of vessel attacks, shipping data showed on Monday.
The number of commodity vessels that passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait fell to 18 on Sunday, from 27 on Saturday and 28 on Friday, according to Kpler data. This decline is likely a result of the Iran-aligned Houthis’ declaration of a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20.
Tankers Take Alternative Routes
The Malta-flagged Lesvos, carrying about 1 million barrels of Saudi crude, exited the Red Sea with its Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders switched off. The vessel’s destination is unknown. Similarly, the Very Large Crude Carrier Desh Vaibhav, carrying 2 million barrels, is heading to India’s Sikka port where Reliance Industries typically receives crude.
Separately, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian naphtha has changed course to sail around Africa instead of going through the Red Sea. This route deviation may be a response to the heightened security risks in the region.
Strait of Hormuz Traffic Slows
At the Strait of Hormuz, a route for a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas, one tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas loaded in Iran made the crossing on Sunday. Some vessels may have switched off their AIS and cannot immediately be accounted for.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency has reported three more tanker attacks since Saturday. Greek shipping firm Gaslog reported an incident on its LNG tanker Gaslog Shanghai on July 31.
VLCCs Exit Hormuz Strait
In addition to the VLCCs Spain B and Noble, two more VLCCs exited the Hormuz strait while one entered on Friday. These include the VLCC Kiku, carrying about 1.4 million barrels of Qatari crude, and the VLCC Rotterdam Energy with 2 million barrels of Das crude from the United Arab Emirates aboard.
Apex Shipping, manager of the Kiku, did not respond to a request for comment. ADNOC Logistics & Services, the owner of Rotterdam Energy, declined to comment.
Original Article: Two tankers with Saudi oil exit Red Sea over weekend, data shows | Reuters — Reuters