Crude Oil Transit Through Strait of Hormuz Continues as Tanker Daily Rates Approach $500,000
Nashnova编辑部
Attacks near the Strait of Hormuz continue, yet satellite imagery shows 12 ship-to-ship crude transfers on Monday alone; tanker day-rates are pushing back toward $500,000, and the strait's transit rights remain the central sticking point in ceasefire talks.
The strait is under fire — how is oil still flowing?
EU Sentinel-2 satellite images on Monday recorded 12 ship-to-ship crude transfers across a 100-plus-kilometre stretch off the Omani and UAE coasts.
Some tankers switched off their AIS — automatic identification system, essentially a ship's GPS transponder — while transiting the strait, disappearing from tracking screens.
This means → the transfer network has not shut down; it has gone quieter and more covert.
How much crude actually made it through?
Bloomberg, Kpler, and Vortexa tracking data show at least 4 fully laden VLCCs reappeared after crossing the strait since Saturday, carrying a combined ~8 million barrels.
Some of these vessels are regular shuttle carriers; others may sail directly to refineries worldwide.
In plain terms = the corridor works like an underground pipeline — fighting continues on the surface, but oil keeps flowing, giving global prices a temporary cushion.
Who is escorting — and who is profiting?
Many vessels hug the Omani coastline and receive US military escort support.
ADNOC's (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) shipping arm said its latest quarterly profit rose sharply, citing "additional services in delivering energy to the world" and high freight rates.
The cost is real, though: ADNOC disclosed 15 ships hit during the conflict, with another struck last weekend.
Why are freight rates hitting extreme levels?
Ongoing attacks have kept the pool of shipowners willing to enter the Persian Gulf small; benchmark tanker day-rates are again approaching $500,000 per day.
This means → fewer ships, elevated risk, unchanged demand — rates get pushed to extremes, and that cost ultimately feeds through to crude prices and downstream consumers.
How long can this corridor hold?
Transit rights through the Strait of Hormuz remain the core dispute in ceasefire talks: Iran demands jurisdiction over passing vessels and the right to levy tolls; the US maintains a blockade on Iranian shipping.
This reflects a fundamental reality — the corridor's survival hinges not on shipping logistics but on when this political deadlock breaks.
In plain terms = oil is still flowing for now, but the on-off switch sits at the negotiating table, not at sea.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.