Aramco Reboots Crude Shipments from Hormuz Amid Escalating Tensions

Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco has resumed crude loadings from its Ras Tanura and Juaymah terminals inside the Strait of Hormuz, ending a three-week pause in activity. According to Kpler and Vortexa data cited by Reuters, three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) - Malaysia Prosperity, Algeria Prosperity, and Singapore Prosperity - each loaded around 2 million barrels between August 12 and 16.

More VLCCs are expected to load Saudi crude from inside Hormuz later this month, with provisional Kpler data showing that six more vessels could be involved. It's also possible that Aramco will use its own ships for future transits, as seven VLCCs operated by Saudi-based Bahri were spotted off the UAE and Oman on Tuesday.

While Aramco has resumed direct shipments from Hormuz, it's still offering Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah. This allows buyers to collect Saudi barrels without sending their own vessels through the strait.