Saudi Oil Shipments Continue to Avoid Houthi Threat via Bab el-Mandeb
The Houthi threat to Saudi Arabian oil shipments remains persistent, prompting shipowners to take precautions. Two tankers, the Greece-owned Lesvos and the Indian-flagged Desh Vaibhav, loaded with Saudi crude from the Red Sea port of Yanbu, have made a transit through the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint in 'dark mode', meaning their transponders were turned off.
According to vessel-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg, these tankers reappeared on AIS monitoring systems offshore southern Oman. Satellite images show at least five tankers berthed at Yanbu on Saturday, which may have been the busiest day at the port since the Houthi threat was announced two weeks ago.
Saudi Arabia has been re-routing part of its exports northward to Egypt and the Suez Canal in response to the Houthi threats. Last week, six tankers turned away from Bab el-Mandeb after actual attacks on tankers prompted Saudi Arabia to re-route its crude oil exports again. More than half a dozen empty supertankers were en route to Egypt's Sidi Kerir port last week to pick up Saudi crude.