Two Supertankers Depart Strait of Hormuz with Crude Oil Bound for China

Two supertankers loaded with crude oil have exited the Strait of Hormuz and are en route to China, according to data from LSEG and Kpler. The vessels, carrying Iraqi and Qatari crude, were loaded in late February and early March, with cargoes ordered by Chinese energy companies Unipec and Sinochem.

This movement comes as Iran has permitted limited vessel transits through the strait, following agreements with individual countries reliant on Persian Gulf energy exports. Some ships have been navigating the chokepoint in 'dark mode,' disabling geolocation devices to avoid detection by Iranian military forces.

Since early March, hundreds of vessels, including energy commodity tankers, have been stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz due to its de facto closure. However, recent weeks have seen a gradual resumption of traffic. Notably, two liquefied petroleum gas carriers bound for India and a crude oil tanker destined for Vietnam successfully transited the strait last week.

Despite these developments, tanker traffic remains significantly below pre-conflict levels. Israel-based maritime analytics firm Windward reported that large portions of northern Hormuz are still dominated by stationary vessels operating in dark mode, rather than active commercial flow. The company identified 47 such vessels in the strait, with no attempts to move, as well as ongoing ship-to-ship transfer activities.

Bloomberg data cited by Zerohedge indicates that at least 19 tankers carrying crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas from Gulf states other than Iran have traversed the Strait of Hormuz since March 1. However, approximately 100 tankers remain immobilized in the strait, underscoring the persistent challenges in restoring normal maritime operations in this critical global energy corridor.