A fleet of 10 Japan-linked vessels exited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, while a supertanker carrying Saudi crude for South Korea cleared the waterway over the weekend after being stranded in the Gulf for months because of the Iran war, shipping data from LSEG showed.
The Japan-linked fleet included six very large crude carriers (VLCCs) carrying about 12 million barrels of crude from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, along with two chemical tankers, a vehicle carrier and a container ship.
The crude cargoes were loaded between late February and early March. Most of the vessels are managed by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), which has said it prioritises the safety of its crews, cargoes and ships when transiting the Strait of Hormuz. MOL declined to comment.
Separately, South Korean refiner S-Oil said its chartered VLCC Long Wind, carrying about 2 million barrels of Saudi crude, exited the strait on Saturday. The tanker, loaded in early March, is expected to arrive at Onsan, South Korea, on July 26, according to LSEG data.
