Fewer than 20 vessels crossed key Strait of Hormuz over weekend, data shows

Fewer than 20 commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend as Iranian and US blockades continued to restrict traffic through the crucial energy shipping chokepoint, shipping data showed Monday.

Four vessels transited the strait on Sunday, according to initial data from ship-tracking firm Kpler, while 13 crossed on Saturday. The figures could be revised as some vessels switched off their tracking transponders while navigating the waterway.

The weekend traffic was sharply lower than Friday’s 16 transits. Two empty very large crude carriers (VLCCs) entered the Gulf on Friday with their tracking devices switched off, with one heading toward Iraq and the other toward Bahrain.

A VLCC carrying around 2 million barrels of Emirati crude exited the strait on Thursday.

Kpler data showed that eight very large gas carriers crossed the strait over the past three days. Six entered the Gulf empty, while two carried liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) loaded in Iran before exiting the Gulf.

Hormuz Traffic Remains 90% Below Normal

Overall shipping activity remained severely depressed in the week ending August 21, as vessels abandoned planned transits or diverted through the northern part of the strait following attacks, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.

According to the agency’s report, based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, 89 vessels exited the strait while 103 entered during the seven-day period.

“Traffic remains well below normal levels,” UKMTO said, noting that AIS-detected transits were about 90% below pre-conflict levels and had continued to decline after peaking between June 24 and June 26.

Tankers accounted for about 45% of all traffic through the strait. Of those, 56% were vessels carrying crude oil, petroleum products or chemicals, while LPG carriers made up another 24%.

Since July 6, UKMTO has recorded 23 incidents involving projectile strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz, causing damage to bridges, engine rooms and other parts of vessels.

Bab al-Mandab Traffic Also Falls

Shipping activity was also weaker through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Kpler data showed that 24 commodity vessels crossed the strategic waterway on Sunday, down from 32 on Saturday, although Saturday’s figure was higher than the 22 vessels recorded on Friday.

Two VLCCs entered the Red Sea on Saturday, with one carrying Iraqi Basrah crude and the other sailing empty, according to the data.