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Market Chatter: Strait of Hormuz Traffic Slows to a Trickle After Latest Ship Attacks

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Commercial vessel traffic along the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a trickle, following the latest attacks on ships, according to a Bloomberg report, citing ship tracking data from Kpler.

According to the report, only one empty crude tanker, a US-sanctioned Aframax named Tiyara, transited into the Persian Gulf on Tuesday with its transponder turned off, after idling near Oman's coast since early July.

Six vessels had crossed on Monday with their transponders on.

Earlier in the week, an oil supertanker, Egypt Prosperity, aborted an attempt to exit the Persian Gulf following direct threats over the radio, according to alerts issued by security consultancies, seen by Bloomberg.

The report, however, noted that crude oil continued to exit the Gulf, despite the heightened security risks, with four very large crude carriers having crossed the Hormuz since the weekend, with their transponders off, crossings known as dark transits.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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