Ship Traffic Through the Strait of Hormuz Drops to Lowest Levels in Over Two Months - Sarmad
Shipping data showed that the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to its lowest level in more than two months, following attacks on oil tankers crossing this vital waterway last week that reached their highest level since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
According to data released by Kpler Analytics, only seven cargo ships transited the strait on Tuesday, the lowest number since July 23.
Kpler analysts Emmanuel Belostrianou and Yoy Torikata wrote in a note issued on October 6, “Crude oil volumes transiting the struit fell by 27 percent from their highest wartime level in the previous week, reaching at least 10.1 million barrels per day.”
They added, “This represents a return to the September average, but it still accounts for 74 percent of pre-war levels.”
They clarified that most of this decline occurred in ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, where cargoes are transferred between tankers.
However, exports from the Gulf of Oman coast and the Red Sea rose to 6.7 million barrels per day, more than double pre-war levels, according to the analysts, offsetting the supply shortfall from the Strait of Hormuz.
They added that this helped keep total crude oil exports from the Middle East at pre-war levels.
Data showed that the number of ships transiting the strait rose slightly to ten yesterday, Wednesday, but remained well below the daily figure of more than 20 ships recorded on Sunday and Monday.
The number of ships entering the strait exceeded those leaving it over the past two days.
These figures do not include ships transiting the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders turned off to avoid detection.
Data from the London Futures Exchange group on total ships transiting the strait showed the number reached eight on Tuesday, split evenly between inbound and outbound vessels, down from 14 the previous day.
The London Futures Exchange group added that among these ships were five oil tankers and the LNG carrier “Mefeer,” loaded at Ras Laffan in Qatar and scheduled to head to the port of Qasim in Pakistan.
Attacks on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz last week reached their highest level since the start of the Iran war, according to maritime security specialists monitoring incidents, as Gulf-producing countries intensified their export efforts.
In the latest incident, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported on Wednesday that projectiles struck a tanker 51 nautical miles north of the Qatari city of Al-Shamal, with reports of injuries.
Before the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, approximately 125 large commercial vessels, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, and container ships, passed through the strait daily. Their cargoes accounted for one-fifth of global supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
