It was belatedly confirmed that a very large crude carrier (VLCC) tied to a Korean shipping company safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened military tensions. They were said to have completely turned off their vessel tracking devices earlier this month and broken through Iran's maritime blockade. A VLCC is the world's largest class of oil tanker, carrying about 2 million barrels on a single voyage.
According to Reuters and shipping outlet Marine Insight on the 12th, three tankers, including Basrah Energy managed by Sinokor Merchant Marine, exited the Strait of Hormuz on the 6th carrying a total of 6 million barrels of Gulf crude. Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) show the vessels sailed in so-called "dark" mode with their automatic identification system (AIS) completely turned off to avoid seizure or attacks by Iran.
However, Sinokor Merchant Marine said Basrah Energy had been chartered short term by its affiliate Janggeum Maritime from another owner and then sub-chartered, adding that neither the company nor Janggeum Maritime was directly involved in this passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
An official at Sinokor Merchant Marine said, "We borrowed the ship short term from elsewhere and rechartered it to another shipper," and added, "Because that shipper operates and manages it directly, we do not know the destination and other details."
Basrah Energy loaded 2 million barrels at the Zirku crude terminal in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), departed on the 1st, and passed the Strait of Hormuz on the 6th. It then arrived at the Fujairah terminal outside the strait in the UAE on the 8th and discharged its cargo. Crude that had been isolated by the blockage of the strait, a global energy chokepoint, was pulled out head-on without a detour.
In addition to the Sinokor Merchant Marine vessel, two other tankers also cleared the strait safely on the 10th. They are Agios Panourios I and Chiara M, each loaded with 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude. Agios Panourios I had completed loading on the 17th of last month and failed at least twice to enter, but succeeded in passage this time. The ship is scheduled to arrive at the Nghi Son refinery in Vietnam on the 26th. Chiara M, whose destination is unclear, is believed to be registered in San Marino and is currently managed by a Shanghai, China entity.
As vessels sailing with trackers off and routes concealed pass through the strait, some analysts say actual cargo flows in the Strait of Hormuz—previously thought to be fully sealed—are more active than indicators suggest. Sailing with trackers off makes official route monitoring difficult. A local dispatched analyst at U.S. research firm Sitriani Research said, "Vessels are still transiting the strait, and four to five tankers a day are passing with no AIS record at all," adding, "Actual cargo volumes may be far higher than the data shows."