SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR: Three fully laden very large crude carriers (VLCCs) have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first known outbound tanker movement from the Gulf since a US–Iran ceasefire deal, according to shipping data on Saturday.
The vessels—Liberia-flagged Serifos and China-flagged Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai—transited the strategic waterway via a designated passage that bypasses Iran’s Larak Island, LSEG tracking data showed. Each VLCC has the capacity to carry around two million barrels of crude oil.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy flows, had faced severe disruption during recent tensions, with Tehran previously restricting passage through the waterway, through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
According to Reuters, the movement of the three tankers is being viewed as an early sign of stabilisation following weeks of uncertainty that had sent oil prices higher and disrupted supply chains. However, hundreds of vessels are still reportedly waiting in the Gulf to exit during the agreed ceasefire window.
The Serifos, chartered by Thai state energy company PTT, had loaded crude from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early March and is expected to reach Malaysia’s Port of Malacca on 21 April, according to shipping analytics firm Kpler and LSEG data.
Meanwhile, Cospearl Lake, carrying Iraqi crude and chartered by Unipec—the trading arm of China’s Sinopec—is scheduled to arrive at the eastern Chinese port of Zhoushan on 1 May. The final destination of He Rong Hai, also carrying Saudi oil, has not yet been confirmed.
Several related companies, including Malaysia’s foreign ministry, Petronas, PTT, Sinopec and various ship management firms, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a parallel development, three empty tankers were observed entering the Gulf on Sunday to load crude. Among them, Agios Fanourios I is reportedly en route to Iraq to lift Basra-grade oil destined for Vietnam.
Shipping analysts say additional vessels remain positioned to move through the strait as operations gradually resume, although the situation remains closely tied to the fragile ceasefire arrangement.
