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Vessels trickle through Strait of Hormuz as Middle East conflict persists
New York Post • • world
Key Points:
- The number of visible commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply to about a dozen over the weekend, down from 35 the previous weekend, amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.
- Despite reduced visible traffic, Middle Eastern oil producers continue to export oil using tankers with transponders turned off, maintaining significant flow through the strait.
- Saudi Arabia has increased crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz to over 4 million barrels per day in September after attacks on its East-West pipeline forced a halt to some shipments via Yanbu.
- Data shows that Saudi Arabia and Iraq account for the majority of crude exports through the strait, with Saudi Arabia responsible for half and Iraq for 35% of the volume in mid-September.
- Analysts note that Middle East oil flows remain robust despite pipeline disruptions, with Saudi oil shipments through the strait rising significantly from 700,000 bpd in August to 2.9 million bpd recently.
