VLCCs Bypass Hormuz for Direct India Deliveries | Mariner News
Thirteen Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) loaded in Saudi Arabia directly delivered crude to India or performed ship-to-ship (STS) transfers off its coast in September, an operational shift that Lloyd’s List indicates could free up global tanker capacity.
This marks a significant departure from traditional routes that often involve transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical but often congested and geopolitically sensitive chokepoint for Middle East oil exports.
By avoiding the strait, these direct voyages and offshore STS operations can streamline transit times for VLCCs, potentially reducing their round-trip durations and increasing overall fleet availability. This operational efficiency contributes to the observation that capacity could be released into the market.
The shift also offers Indian refiners a more direct and potentially resilient crude supply chain from Saudi Arabia, mitigating some of the geopolitical and transit risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz. This could enhance the security and predictability of crude deliveries to one of the world’s largest oil importing nations.
