Tankers Psi Victorious and STI Elysees departed the Strait of Hormuz last week.
The LNG tanker Marigold loaded its cargo at Das Island in the UAE last week.
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Four LNG tankers are heading toward the eastern entrance of the strait.
Shipping data revealed that two oil tankers carrying refined petroleum products departed the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, while a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tanker successfully loaded its cargo in the UAE. These movements represent rare occurrences amid ongoing restrictions on traffic through the narrow chokepoint.
While several tankers managed to exit the Gulf over the past month, oil and LNG flows remain severely constrained due to the US-Israeli war with Iran that broke out on February 28. Approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and LNG supplies typically transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Vessel tracking data from Kpler and the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) showed that the medium-range tanker Psi Victorious, carrying at least 80,000 tons (over 508,000 barrels) of untreated high-sulfur fuel oil, departed the strait on May 30.
The vessel was last loaded at Iraq’s Khor Al-Zubair port in early April and is expected to arrive in Malaysia during the second half of June.
According to Kpler data, another Long Range (LR) tanker, the STI Elysees, which was loaded with "clean" products from Kuwait in late February, departed the strait on May 29. Its destination remains unclear.
Fragile Hopes
Meanwhile, data from analytics firm Vortexa showed that the LNG tanker Marigold, operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), loaded a cargo at Das Island in the UAE on May 24 and 25.
"The vessel stopped transmitting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals on May 3 prior to a 'stealth' transit through the Strait of Hormuz," Vortexa stated in a report on Monday. The AIS system is used to track vessel locations, and some ships deactivate it when attempting to navigate the strait.
Vortexa added: "It is the last of a group of four steam-turbine tankers controlled by ADNOC, all of which deactivated their AIS to transit the Strait of Hormuz westbound for reloading. The other three vessels—Marwa, Al Hamra, and Umm Al Ashtan—have already made 'stealth' outbound transits through the narrow corridor."
Kpler data indicated that the Marigold was last spotted east of the strait on May 1, but completed its loading operations at Das Island by May 25.
ADNOC declined to comment on the location, movements, or routing of its vessels, citing company policy.
Separately, data from Vortexa, Kpler, and LSEG indicated that four LNG tankers recently moved toward the eastern entrance of the strait and remain stationary there.
Ashley Sherman, an LNG analyst at Vortexa, said the tankers arrived near their current positions on May 30 and 31.
He added that while these movements were not unprecedented, they reflect the fragile hopes surrounding the reopening of the strait and the reaching of a broader peace agreement.
The tanker Al Hamra returned to the strait after delivering a cargo from Das Island to India last week.
Meanwhile, the tankers Al Areesh, Al Khuwair, and Al Marrouna—all operated by QatarEnergy—began moving toward the strait from waters off the coasts of India and Sri Lanka between May 25 and 27.
QatarEnergy has not yet responded to a Reuters request for comment.
Source: Reuters
