Saudi Crude Tanker Anchors at India Port Amidst Escalating Houthi Blockade

The Aframax Rodos, a tanker chartered by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), has successfully anchored at India's New Mangalore Port in Karnataka after going dark while navigating the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The vessel was carrying 700,000 barrels of Saudi crude oil when it switched off its tracking system on July 22nd.

The move comes amidst escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis, who announced a blockade on Saudi shipments on July 20th. Several vessels have shut off their transponders as a precautionary measure to navigate the blockade, but this was the first case of an India-bound vessel carrying Saudi oil going dark to exit the Red Sea since the blockade was announced.

The Rodos is expected to begin cargo operations at the New Mangalore Port on August 3rd. The second vessel, Suezmax tanker Amazon, chartered by Indian Oil Corp, is carrying one million barrels of Saudi crude oil and is expected to reach Chennai port by August 4th.