Saudi Aramco resumes oil loadings at Ras Tanura after nearly four-month pause

Shipping data showed two supertankers loading at the Saudi export terminal on Thursday, with another vessel waiting offshore as crude flows resumed after a wartime disruption.

Summary

Saudi Arabia has resumed crude loadings at Ras Tanura’s Ju’aymah offshore terminal after a nearly four-month halt during the Iran war, when exports were redirected to the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping data from Kpler showed two supertankers loading at the Saudi Aramco-operated terminal on Thursday, while another vessel was waiting offshore and may also be preparing to load. The restart signals renewed use of a key Persian Gulf export route. Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs, can each carry about 2 million barrels of crude.

Terms & Concepts
  • Strait of Hormuz: A narrow shipping chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that is crucial for global oil exports.
  • VLCC: Very Large Crude Carrier, a supertanker typically used to haul around 2 million barrels of crude oil.
  • Ju’aymah offshore terminal: An offshore crude loading facility at Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf export system.