Vessel traffic through Strait of Hormuz falls further amid regional conflict

Vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven crossings on September 10, down from 11 the previous day and significantly below the 10-day average of 15, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on September 11.

According to data from ship-tracking company Kpler, two Panamax-sized vessels exited the strategic waterway by 0306 GMT. One was carrying fertiliser, while the other was sailing in ballast, meaning without cargo, Reuters reports. 

Five vessels entered the strait during the same period. They included a Panamax vessel carrying dry bulk cargo, two Handysize vessels carrying steel and grain respectively, a medium-range tanker loaded with petroleum products, and a Supramax vessel carrying dry bulk cargo.

The figures may not capture all vessel movements, as some ships could have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off to avoid detection.

Several QatarEnergy-linked vessels have also been observed in and around the waterway this week. Two vessels sailing in ballast, Al Ghashamiya and Al Daayen, were detected inside the Strait of Hormuz on September 9 and September 6, respectively, after previously being tracked outside the waterway.

Another QatarEnergy-controlled vessel, Al Marrouna, exited the strait this week after transporting a cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan on September 10. The voyage was the first known shipment of liquefied natural gas aboard a Qatar-linked tanker since late July, when Al Areesh carried an LNG cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan.

The decline in traffic comes amid heightened disruption to shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Before the war with Iran began on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz typically handled around 125 large commercial vessels a day, including oil tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers and container ships.

The waterway is particularly important to global energy markets, with roughly 20% of the world’s daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally passing through it.

A U.S. blockade targeting Iran-related shipping has also halted Iranian crude oil exports since being reimposed in mid-July, adding further pressure to regional energy flows.