SINGAPORE (Reuters) – An oil tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, heading to a United Arab Emirates port to load crude in a rare voyage since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Middle East, according to industry sources and shiptracking data.
Suezmax tanker Pola switched off its AIS tracker late on March 2, when it approached the Strait, and re-appeared on March 3 off Abu Dhabi, LSEG data showed.
The vessel is heading to the port of Jebel Dhanna to load Abu Dhabi Murban crude for Thailand, said two trade sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter is a sensitive one.
Dynacom Tankers which manages the vessel could not be immediately reached for comment outside office hours.
The US-Israeli war on Iran halted energy exports from the Middle East, with Tehran attacking ships and energy facilities, closing navigation in the Gulf and forcing production stoppages in countries from Qatar to Iraq.
Crude tanker transits through the strait fell to four vessels on March 1, the day after hostilities broke out, versus an average of 24 a day since January, Vortexa vessel-tracking data showed.