Saudi Oil Tankers Cross Bab el-Mandeb as Hormuz Traffic Slows

Two tankers carrying Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend, while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed following reports of further attacks on commercial vessels, Kpler shipping data showed on Monday.

The number of commodity vessels passing through Bab el-Mandeb fell to 18 on Sunday from 27 on Saturday and 28 on Friday.

The Iran-aligned Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on 20 July and have since expanded attacks on tankers carrying energy and other supplies to waters beyond the Gulf.

The Suezmax tanker Lesvos, carrying about one million barrels of Saudi crude, and the very large crude carrier Desh Vaibhav, carrying two million barrels, passed through the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off.

It was not immediately clear where the Malta-flagged Lesvos was headed. The Desh Vaibhav was bound for the Indian port of Sikka, where Reliance Industries typically receives crude.

In the Strait of Hormuz, one tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas loaded in Iran made the crossing on Sunday, according to Kpler. Some vessels may have switched off their AIS transponders and therefore could not immediately be accounted for.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency has reported three further tanker attacks in the region since Saturday.

The number of commodity vessels passing through Hormuz fell to 10 on Saturday after 19 crossed on Friday, the highest daily total since mid-July.

(Reuters, lud)