Reuters: US used offshore oil transfer network to keep Gulf exports moving

The United States has overseen a large-scale offshore oil transfer operation in the Gulf of Oman to maintain energy exports amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters investigation.

The operation, which began in early May, involves transferring oil between vessels at sea near the coasts of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Reuters reported that at least 92 ships have participated in the effort, with oil being moved from smaller tankers to larger vessels waiting outside areas considered vulnerable to Iranian interference.

The transfers take place at two locations near Oman’s port of Sohar and off Fujairah in the UAE. Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed multiple ship-to-ship transfers occurring simultaneously, including 17 pairs of vessels observed on June 11.

According to Reuters, the operation resembles techniques long employed by Iran to bypass sanctions, with ships sailing in staggered formations, disabling transponders and dimming lights to reduce visibility. The report said the process is monitored by the US military through aerial surveillance, drones and helicopters.

Reuters also reported that an Apache helicopter shot down by Iran on June 9 was involved in the broader mission, although the agency said it could not independently verify the aircraft’s specific role. A US defence official told Reuters that no Central Command forces were participating in an offshore ship-to-ship oil transfer operation.

The initiative emerged after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict triggered by the US-Israeli war, disrupting one of the world's most important energy corridors. Roughly a fifth of global oil consumption normally passes through the strait.

Shipping experts warned that the arrangement carries significant risks. “You just don't know when Iran might just decide to start using drones or even gunboats in order to prevent even those ships from transiting the strait,” said Noam Raydan, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute.

Reuters estimated that more than 90 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products may have been moved through the offshore network since early May. However, the volume remains well below the roughly 20 million barrels that passed through the strait each day before the conflict.

“I don’t see a permanent solution in all of this,” Raydan said. “This is a temporary solution amid exceptional times.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev