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Two oil tankers reportedly struck as Strait of Hormuz hostilities resume

 Two oil supertankers attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz were struck by projectiles late Monday, maritime security consultant Marisks said, as renewed hostilities threaten a recent recovery in oil shipments through the critical waterway.  The very large crude carrier Sidr, operated by Saudi Arabia’s Bahri shipping company, was hit while sailing northeast of Khasab, […]

Oil Surges 5% on Renewed Tensions

US oil prices topped $90 a barrel for the first time since late July as fresh American strikes on Iran raised concerns about prolonged disruptions to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. West Texas Intermediate rose 5.2% on the renewed fighting. US President Donald Trump said the attacks were in retaliation for Iran trying […]

How Oil Refineries Are Becoming Central to Africa’s Energy Independence

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply transits, has laid bare a vulnerability that African governments had long acknowledged regarding continental dependence on imports, which has been insufficiently addressed. •With 50 out of 54 African countries classified as net importers of refined fuel, and the African […]

Saudi Aramco shifts more crude outside the Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Aramco has offered more oil for loading outside the Strait of Hormuz in September, four sources with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, after ​the producer sold at least 4 million barrels to China this month.Shipping ​data indicates that Aramco has resorted to shuttling cargoes aboard tankers with ⁠their trackers switched off to […]

Washington secures the world’s oil lifeline: A secret US move to facilitate the passage of crude oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz

Washington, DC – US media reports have revealed a covert US military operation aimed at securing the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. This comes amid ongoing military tensions with Iran and a decline in maritime traffic in one of the world’s most important energy shipping lanes. According to Axios, US forces are managing […]

Have Middle East Oil Flows Rebounded to 15 Million Bpd as U.S. Claims?

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright this week said that the oil exports from the Middle East have rebounded to 15 million barrels per day (bpd) and even topped the pre-war average of 20 million bpd on Sunday.

Vessel-tracking services and commodity analysts are baffled and struggling to reconcile these numbers with their observations of tanker loadings and traffic in the region.

Saudi Gulf Oil Loadings Still Subdued

Oil loadings by Saudi Arabia and other major producers inside the Persian Gulf remained subdued as recent attacks continue to deter shipowners from traversing the Strait of Hormuz. No large tankers have been seen berthed at the kingdom’s top Persian Gulf installations since July 12, according to satellite images from the European Union’s Sentinel-1 orbiter. […]