Hormuz Tanker Traffic Drops Despite Recovery in Oil Flows
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined below average, even as oil flows remain significant. Analysts suggest that producers are increasingly seeking alternative routes to bypass the chokepoint amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Why it matters
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint; disruptions here have immediate impacts on global oil prices and energy security.
Tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz slowed below the ten-day average this week, with only seven commodity vessels traversing the waterway on Thursday, Reuters reported today, citing preliminary data from Kpler. This compared to 17 vessels passing through Hormuz a day earlier, with the ten-day average at 15, based on ship-tracking data. A total of 17 tankers passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 11 of them exiting and six entering, per Reuters. Windward, meanwhile, reported a total of six tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, three of them in dark mode to avoid detection. Four of the tankers entered the chokepoint and two exited. Bloomberg, however, reported that oil flows in Hormuz are on the rise, with oil moving out of the chokepoint at a rate of between 6 and 8 million barrels daily, according to unnamed traders' estimates.
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