DUBAI: The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz remained at unusually low levels on Monday, with preliminary ship-tracking data showing only about five ships using the vital waterway, highlighting continued weakness in maritime traffic through the strategic passage.
The figure was broadly unchanged from the weekend and remained well below the 10-day average of around 14 ships, according to data from maritime analytics firm Kpler reviewed on Tuesday. Of the five ships recorded, four entered the strait while one ship exited, the data showed.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime route for global energy supplies, connecting the Arabian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. Any sustained disruption or slowdown in shipping through the passage can have implications for international energy markets and trade.
The Kpler figures do not include ships that transit the strait with their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders switched off. As a result, the actual number of ships using the waterway could be higher than the publicly tracked total.
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Notably, no liquid tanker ships were recorded among the ships that passed through the strait on Monday, according to the data. Among the four ships entering the waterway was an empty handy-sized gas tanker ship, while the other three were laden dry bulk ships.
The composition of the traffic indicates that the limited shipping activity recorded on Monday was concentrated in gas and dry bulk transport rather than liquid energy cargoes.
Kpler’s preliminary tracking data provides an early indication of maritime movements and can change as additional ship-position information becomes available.
