Iranian Oil Tankers Resume Shipments After US-Iran Deal
At least three tankers carrying Iranian oil have sailed through the U.S. naval blockade this week, with a fourth, an empty vessel, heading towards the Gulf of Oman, after the U.S. and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed.The shipments indicate a gradual resumption of Iranian oil exports that are expected to add to global supplies although demand from China, its biggest buyer, has been lacklustre due to poor domestic margins.Very Large Crude Carriers Hero II and Diona…
The U.S. is Using Iranian Oil Smuggling Tactics
The United States military has overseen scores of secretive ship-to-ship oil transfers to keep Gulf energy exports flowing, using aerial and water drones as well as helicopters in an operation to guide convoys to awaiting tankers.The operation on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz employs a shuttling technique long used by Iran to skirt sanctions.Two specific locations where the oil transfers take place were identified by 11 people familiar with the operation – one off the coast of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates and the other off Oman’s port of Sohar.It started in early May…
French Navy Boards Suspected Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Atlantic
France's navy has intercepted a sanctioned tanker linked to the Russian oil trade in the Atlantic Ocean and ordered the vessel to head for the French mainland, in a move Russia said was illegal and bordered on "international piracy".French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday posted a video on X showing commandos rappelling from helicopters onto the Tagor, during an operation that occurred the previous day in international waters 400 miles (740 km) west of Brittany.The tanker, which had sailed from Russia's Arctic port of Murmansk…
Three Oil and LNG Tankers Exit Hormuz with Trackers Switched Off
Two supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week with their transponders switched off, and are heading for India and China, shipping data from LSEG and Kpler showed.The vessels joined a number of tankers leaving the Gulf this month, although oil and LNG traffic overall has still been limited.The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Eagle Veracruz, carrying 2 million barrels of crude loaded from Saudi Arabia in late February, is heading to Quanzhou port in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian.
MISC Reports First Quarter Increase in Revenue
The MISC Group revenue of RM2,891.4 million ($729 million) was 2.7% higher than the revenue for the period ended March 31, 2025.The increase was mainly due to higher revenue from the company’s Petroleum and Product Shipping segment, primarily driven by higher freight rates and earning days, and higher revenue from Marine and Heavy Engineering segment, primarily from the ongoing projects advancing into higher construction phases partially offset by lower revenue from post sail-away projects.The increase in Group’s revenue was…
Third VLCC Exits Strait of Hormuz
Three supertankers were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday carrying oil bound for Asian markets, after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months with 6 million barrels of Middle East crude on board, while another was entering, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed.The ships are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route that Iran has ordered ships to use.The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran which began on February 28 has severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz…
CMB.Tech Profit Surges as Hormuz Disruption Boosts Tanker Rates
Belgian tanker company CMB.Tech said on Tuesday its core profit more than tripled in the first quarter, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz curtailed available shipping tonnage, driving a sharp spike in spot freight rates.Shares of the large, diversified maritime company with a fleet of about 250 ships rose more than 5% in early Brussels trading.
Somali Piracy on the Rise
Palaemon Maritime’s maritime security report this week points to some of the clearest indicators yet that piracy activity off Somalia is escalating again.“Taken alone, these incidents might appear isolated. Taken together, they point to something more important: the conditions that enable piracy are building again in the Western Indian Ocean.”Most recently, Palaemon cites a possible hijacking of a dhow off the southern Somali coast, multiple suspicious approaches and aggressive small craft activity in the region…
Japan Secures Second Oil Tanker Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker managed by Japanese refining group Eneos has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data from LSEG showed on Thursday, the second instance of such a Japan-linked oil ship making it through.Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has directly contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to allow for the transit of the ship, which has four Japanese crew members onboard, she said in a post on X.Before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran largely disrupted oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz…
US Sanctions Companies Involved in Iran's Oil Shipments to China
The U.S. government on Monday announced sanctions against three people and nine companies, including four based in Hong Kong and four in the United Arab Emirates, for aiding Iran's shipment of oil to China. The ninth company is based in Oman.The U.S. Treasury move follows sanctions announced on Friday on individuals and companies aiding Iranian purchases of weapons and components used to make drones and ballistic missiles.It comes days before U.S. President Donald Trump's planned meeting with Xi Jinping…
Sentinel Midstream to Begin Building Texas Deepwater Oil Export Port
Oil transportation and storage company Sentinel Midstream said on Tuesday it would immediately begin construction of its deepwater oil export project off the Texas coast, marking the first development of a large-scale export project in the United States in years.Sentinel expects to begin commercial operations of the Texas GulfLink system by the fourth quarter of 2028, said Bruce Heine, the company's senior VP for public affairs, adding the company will begin excavation activities…
Japan-Linked Tanker Carrying Saudi Oil Passes Strait of Hormuz
Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Tuesday, becoming the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the Iran war began.Before the U.S.-Iran conflict broke out on February 28 and disrupted Middle East crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, Japan relied on the region for 95% of its oil imports, much of it coming via the Strait of Hormuz.The move comes as Japan's recent diplomatic efforts to safeguard energy supplies were disrupted by the war.Earlier in April…
Trump Grants 90-day Extension to Jones Act Waiver
President Donald Trump granted a 90-day extension to a shipping waiver that makes it easier to move oil, fuel and fertilizer around the United States, the White House said on Friday, the latest effort to curb rising energy costs linked to the war with Iran.The move reflects a broader push by the White House to dampen politically sensitive fuel price spikes ahead of November’s midterm elections, where affordability is expected to be a defining issue for voters. Recent polling shows…
White House Expected to Extend Jones Act Waiver
The White House is expected to extend the Jones Act waiver for up to 90 days as early as Friday to help blunt fuel price pressures tied to the Iran conflict, according to two sources familiar with the decision.The move would temporarily ease requirements that goods transported between U.S. ports be carried on American-built and American-crewed vessels, allowing foreign-flagged ships to move fuel and other key commodities more freely as the administration seeks to contain energy…
Eni Ships Venezuelan Crude to Europe After Two-Year Gap
Oil and gas producer Eni this week finished loading a 1-million-barrel cargo of Venezuelan heavy crude bound for Spain, the first the Italian company receives in almost two years following the issuance of U.S.
Tankers Transit Hormuz on First Day of US Blockade
A third Iran-linked tanker was entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday on the first full day of the U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal.As the three vessels transiting the strait were not heading to Iranian ports, they are not covered by the blockade.Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker…
Carga Releases Upgrade to Cargo Management Platform
Maritime software company Carga has released OceanSMART 2.0, a powerful upgrade to its flagship bulk liquid cargo management platform.The release delivers dramatically faster performance, a modernized user interface and a suite of reliability improvements designed to support operational teams working in maritime logistics.OceanSMART users have reported saving as much as $1 million in demurrage costs in a single month, a testament to what the platform’s nomination-to-discharge capabilities make possible.
Iran-Linked Tankers Sail Through Hormuz Before US Blockade
Two oil tankers linked to Iran exited the Gulf on Monday via the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a planned U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed.The tanker Auroura is laden with Iranian oil products while the New Future tanker is carrying diesel loaded from the Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, Kpler data showed.(Reuters - Reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore and Jonathan Saul in London; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Massive Increase in Oil Transport Through Danish Waters
Major geopolitical events have led to massive changes in the patterns of global oil transport at sea. This underlines the importance of effective Danish marine environmental preparedness when almost five million barrels of oil pass through Danish waters every day, according to Danish Shipping Companies.In the first half of 2025, as much oil was shipped through the Great Belt and the Sound as through the Suez Canal. Here, 4.9 million barrels of oil were shipped through both places per day. For the Great Belt and the Sound, this is an increase of 58 percent from 2021 to 2025.
India Resumes Iranian Oil Imports After Seven-Year Hiatus
Indian refiners have purchased Iranian oil amid the Middle East conflict that has disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said on Saturday.The world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, India has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019, following U.S. pressure not to buy Iranian crude, but supply disruptions from the U.S.-Israel war have hit the South Asian nation hard."Amid Middle East supply disruptions, Indian refiners have secured their crude oil requirements…
Asian Buyers Rush for Russian Oil Amid Supply Disruption
Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are lining up to buy Russian oil as the Iran war blocks supplies, raising the possibility that demand may exceed supply, several sources including Russia said.Since the war in Ukraine prompted European customers - once the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas - to shun Moscow, India and China have accounted for around 80% of Russian oil exports. Turkey has also been a significant buyer.But in recent weeks…
Iran Grants Malaysian Vessels Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries and said Malaysian vessels were now being allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.Anwar in a televised address thanked Iran's president for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships."We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they may continue their journey home," he said.Anwar said he talked with Iran and other countries as part of efforts to facilitate peace in the Middle East."But it is not easy, a
UK Authorises Military to Board Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday he has given the military permission to board and detain Russian ships his government alleges are part of a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.The decision comes as other European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine.Starmer said he approved more aggressive action against the…