Ship-to-ship crude oil transfer operations in the Gulf of Oman have reached maximum capacity as Gulf producers reroute oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Marine Link.
The bottleneck follows the September 13 disruption of Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline. As a result, Saudi crude exports moving through the Strait of Hormuz are projected to rise to 3.6 million barrels per day in September, up from 900,000 barrels per day in August.
The sharp rise in tanker demand pushed daily time-charter rates for very large crude carriers transporting Middle Eastern crude to China to a record $1.27 million.
Industry analysts reported that between 36 and 40 additional supertankers are needed to manage the redirected crude volumes and maintain consistent supplies to refineries across China and Asia.
Sources
- Marine Link · 2026-09-25
