Ship-to-Ship Transfers: Saudi Arabia's Secretive Oil Route

Saudi Arabia's oil exports have been disrupted after Iran-aligned Houthis damaged its key East-West pipeline, forcing Riyadh to find alternative routes. One solution is ship-to-ship transfers off Oman's coast, where crude oil is loaded onto tankers from Saudi vessels that had previously passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait has become a global oil chokepoint since Iran closed it in response to US-Israeli war efforts. The closure and rising oil prices have pushed the US and its allies to adopt shadow tactics, much like what Iran has been doing for years to export its own crude.

Riyadh is increasingly offering crude to buyers through ship-to-ship transfers off Oman's Sohar port, located just outside the strait. The East-West pipeline, which connects the kingdom's main oil-producing fields in the east with Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast in the west, was previously used for exports.

Ship-to-ship transfers involve cargo being transferred directly between two vessels at sea, often using ageing vessels with poor hull maintenance and uninspected hoses. Despite the risks, these transfers have become a necessary logistical bridge when direct port access is blocked or restricted.