/Agencia Reuters
Three oil tankers loaded with crude recently left the Strait of Hormuz with their trackers turned off to avoid Iranian attacks, according to shipping data from Kpler and LSEG, underscoring a growing trend to maintain oil exports in the Middle East.
Two very large crude carriers (VLCCs), the Agios Fanourios I and the Kiara M, each carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, transited the waterway on Sunday, May 10, the data showed.
The Agios Fanourios I is heading to Vietnam to discharge its cargo at the Nghi Son refinery and petrochemical complex on May 26, the data showed. The tanker failed to cross the strait in at least two previous attempts since loading Basrah Medium crude on April 17.
Meanwhile, the Kiara M also exited the Persian Gulf on Sunday the 10th with its transponder turned off, according to Kpler data. It was not immediately clear where it will discharge the 2 million barrels of Basra crude it carries on board, the tanker flagged in San Marino.
The Kiara M is managed by a Shanghai-based firm and is owned by an entity registered in the Marshall Islands. The companies could not be reached immediately as their contact details are not publicly available.
Previously, the VLCC Basrah Energy loaded 2 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude at the Zirku terminal of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc) on May 1 and exited the Strait of Hormuz on the 6th of the same month, according to Kpler data.
The Panama-flagged vessel discharged its cargo at the Fujairah oil terminals on May 8, according to the data.
It was not immediately clear which company chartered the tanker, owned by shipping company Sinokor, which also manages it. Sinokor did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside of business hours.
Recently, Adnoc and its buyers have sent several tankers loaded with crude through the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to mobilize oil that had been stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the conflict in the Middle East.
