Saudi energy giant Aramco has resumed loading crude oil at the Ras Tanura terminal for the first time in four months, after the strait was blocked. Two supertankers, each with a capacity of 2 million barrels, are already loading at the port, and a third tanker is waiting nearby, according to regional reports.
Saudi oil giant Aramco has resumed loading crude at its Ras Tanura terminal on the Persian Gulf, according to regional reports cited Sunday. The move is the first such loading at the port since the Strait of Hormuz was blocked four months ago, which forced Saudi exports to be diverted to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Two very large crude carriers (VLCCs), each capable of carrying 2 million barrels, are currently loading at Ras Tanura, with a third tanker waiting nearby. The resumption follows a series of developments over recent weeks signaling a gradual easing of the blockade: earlier reports indicated Saudi, Iranian, and Iraqi tanker movements through the strait, as well as renewed Iranian exports via Kharg Island and a reported U.S.-Iran understanding on oil shipments. However, as The Zioneer has reported, the continuity of the reopening remains uncertain; the current Aramco loading is a first indication but does not yet confirm sustained free passage.
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