Story
Four Oil and Gas Tankers Turn Back From Strait of Hormuz After Vessel Attacks
Summary
At least four oil and gas tankers have altered their course to avoid the Strait of Hormuz following recent attacks on vessels in the critical shipping lane. The diversions occurred after a Qatari LNG tanker and a Saudi crude tanker sustained damage, prompting heightened security alerts.
SINGAPORE — At least four oil and gas tankers have diverted from the Strait of Hormuz amid rising safety concerns after renewed attacks on commercial ships in the vital waterway, according to ship-tracking data. The decisions to turn back follow an incident on Tuesday where a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged.
Following the attacks, which were reportedly caused by missiles fired from Iran, maritime authorities elevated the threat risk for vessels transiting the strait to "severe." This has prompted some shipping operators to reroute their vessels to avoid the area.
Data from analytics firms Kpler and LSEG showed three empty LNG tankers controlled by QatarEnergy—Al Ghariya, Duhail, and Al Ruwais—changed course late Tuesday while heading toward Qatar's Ras Laffan export terminal. Additionally, an Indian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil made a U-turn near the strait on Wednesday.
AdDespite the heightened risk and diversions, some vessel traffic continues. At least two very large crude carriers (VLCCs), the Tenjun and the Pertamina Pride, managed to exit the strait on Tuesday. However, a queue of more than 10 empty vessels is reportedly waiting to load at Ras Laffan, and analysts at Vortexa note that over 50 vessels in the region have been stationary or have switched off their tracking signals.