Saudi ships shun Red Sea choke point for rare Africa journey

Six Saudi oil tankers are sailing away from the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint and appeared to be embarking on an unusual trip around Africa as threats from Houthi rebels upend shipping in the Red Sea.

Two empty very large crude carriers, Hazm and Dilam, are signalling Gibraltar, which is a major hub in the Mediterranean Sea for refuelling, according to ship-tracking data. The other tankers, Ghinah, Laynah, Salam and Burqan, are indicating South Africa’s Durban or Algoa Bay, ports that are often listed as a waypoint for vessels making cross-continental journeys.

Saudi Arabia has been diverting some Asia-bound crude flows from its Red Sea export port of Yanbu to Egypt’s Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean coast, where the kingdom is exploring a new pricing mechanism for buyers to collect oil. Bypassing the shorter route through Bab el-Mandeb for a safer trip around Africa will likely add at least two weeks to the tankers’ journey.

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The VLCCs are owned by the kingdom’s national shipping company, Bahri. The company didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The threat by Iran-backed Houthi militants to attack vessels that call at Saudi ports in the Red Sea has forced shipowners to reconsider sailing through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait. Some tankers are still transiting the choke point, including Chinese and Pakistan-flagged ships, while others have diverted from the Strait of Hormuz, appearing to seek lucrative shipping deals.

Two empty VLCCs entered the Red Sea via Bab el-Mandeb on Thursday after previously delivering shipments in waters near Hormuz. The Gabon Prosperity, owned by South Korea’s Sinokor Group, is signalling the Suez Canal, while Rain Cubic is sailing to the same destination, broadcasting Chinese ownership.

Around 26 commodity vessels crossed Bab el-Mandeb in either direction on Thursday, while only two ships visibly transited Hormuz, according to data from Kpler. The numbers may be revised as more information is received. Still, there are signs of a pickup in tankers shuttling oil out of the Persian Gulf with their transponders off following a recent lull.

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On Friday, Hong Kong-flagged supertanker Noble, fully laden with Iraqi crude, was openly signalling its exit from the gulf, according to ship-tracking data.

In other shipping developments:

Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman

VLCCs Angola B, Spain B, Suezmax tanker Imola, and products tanker Al Salam, carrying shipments from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, crossed Hormuz into Gulf of Oman without their transponders on
LNG tanker Al Areesh U-turned as it approached the Arabian Sea and is now near Oman, despite showing Pakistan as a destination

Southern Red Sea

Twenty-six commodity vessels crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait in either direction on Thursday, compared with 27 a day earlier: Kpler
Only Russian crude left via the choke point, totalling about 770 000 barrels, although some vessels may have transited with transponders off

Northern Red Sea

London’s insurers expanded the areas where underwriters can charge war risk premiums farther north in the Red Sea, but shy of Egyptian waters
Sinokor-controlled VLCC Agios Nikolas is heading to Egypt’s Sidi Kerir after a previous fixture showing that it was bound for the US
Five laden VLCCs are now idling off Sidi Kerir: Olympic Luck, DHT Gazelle, Bidbid, Front Empire, and VL Prosperity
DHT Mustang sailed away on Thursday from Sidi Kerir fully laden, with no clear destination

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