Saudi Oil Diverted Through Hormuz After Pipeline Attack

Saudi Arabia is diverting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz after a drone attack forced it to shut down its East-West pipeline. Loadings at Ras Tanura and nearby Juaymah have risen sharply, reaching about 4 million barrels per day over the past week.

Maritime experts say Saudi Arabia is using shuttle vessels to carry crude through Hormuz for transfer off Oman's coast. The kingdom tested this route before last week's pipeline attack but is now relying on it more heavily due to the disruption of its Red Sea route.

The operation involves loading oil at Ras Tanura, moving it through Hormuz, and then transferring it to long-haul vessels off Sohar in Oman. According to Arsenio Longo, founder of maritime intelligence company Huax, four very large crude carriers (VLCCs) were loading at Ras Tanura on Wednesday alone.

Other Gulf oil exporters have been using similar shuttle services through Hormuz for transfer to long-haul tankers outside the strait. The operation is creating an increasingly crowded queue of VLCCs waiting in the Gulf of Oman for ship-to-ship transfers.