Strait of Hormuz tanker traffic fell to four recorded vessel crossings on Tuesday, another sign that shipping through the vital energy corridor remains severely disrupted.
The daily count dropped from seven vessels on Monday and stood well below the 10-day moving average of 18, according to ship-tracking data reported by Reuters.
Two vessels entered the waterway and two exited. None was a very large crude carrier or liquefied natural gas carrier.
One outbound vessel carried about 470,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas, while another transported roughly 510,000 barrels of naphtha.
Windward recorded only one tanker entering the strait on September 15, identifying it as an oil-products carrier.
Visible data may miss hidden crossings
The figures do not capture vessels travelling with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off.
This practice, often described as operating in “dark mode,” makes it difficult to establish the precise number of crossings. Even if untracked movements matched the visible count, traffic would remain far below normal levels.
Shipowners and energy exporters have become increasingly cautious following attacks on tankers and renewed hostilities involving Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, making any prolonged disruption a threat to fuel availability and prices.
Alternative Saudi route faces pressure
The danger has spread beyond Hormuz.
Houthi attacks have raised risks around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while a strike on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline has disrupted the alternative route to the Yanbu export terminal.
Repairs to that pipeline could take anywhere from several days to weeks, according to differing industry estimates.
Saudi Arabia may consequently need to move more oil through Hormuz. The sharp decline in crossings raises doubts about how much additional traffic the route can safely accommodate.
With both major shipping corridors under pressure, the immediate concern is no longer simply whether crude is available. Moving it safely to global markets has become the harder problem.
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