Yanbu Port in Saudi Arabia Remains Active Amid Houthi Threats; Oil Tankers Navigate Crude Transits
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu experienced a surge in activity, marking its busiest day since Houthi threats disrupted regional shipping. Despite the risks, some tankers, including those transporting Russian crude, continued to navigate the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with their tracking systems active. However, many Saudi crude shipments have shifted to alternative routes, with some vessels rerouting around Africa and others redirected to Egypt’s Sidi Kerir terminal on the Mediterranean coast.
Increased Activity at Yanbu
Recent satellite imagery from the European Union’s Sentinel-2 mission revealed five Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) docked at Yanbu’s oil-loading terminals on Saturday. This uptick in activity follows a blockade announced by Iran-backed Houthi rebels two weeks ago. Yanbu has become a vital export hub for Saudi Arabia, especially after disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The kingdom has been moving millions of barrels of oil daily via pipeline to the Red Sea port for international shipments, with each VLCC capable of carrying approximately 2 million barrels of crude.
Tankers Operating Under the Radar
The Greek-owned Suezmax tanker Lesvos and the India-flagged VLCC Desh Vaibhav transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the weekend, transporting Saudi crude from Yanbu while keeping their transponders switched off. Ship-tracking data indicated that both vessels later reappeared off the coast of Oman after initially transmitting their positions near the Red Sea terminal.
Security concerns escalated last week when a liquefied natural gas tanker carrying Qatari cargo was struck by a projectile while navigating the Strait of Hormuz. This incident underscored the risks faced by shipowners in the region. Despite these challenges, crude exports from the Persian Gulf have persisted, primarily through tankers operating without active transponders. On Friday, ship-tracking data recorded over 8.4 million barrels of crude leaving the Gulf, marking one of the highest daily export volumes since the onset of the Iran war in late February.
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