Overview
Ship-tracking data reviewed by analytics providers show that at least four oil and gas tankers reversed course and turned away from the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened safety concerns following renewed attacks on vessels in the waterway. The maneuvers took place after a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were reported damaged near the strait, an incident that followed reports Iran fired missiles at ships in the area and prompted maritime authorities to raise the threat risk for transiting vessels to "severe."
Which vessels diverted
Data from Kpler and LSEG show three LNG tankers - Al Ghariya, Duhail and Al Ruwais - all controlled by QatarEnergy, altered course late on Tuesday. Each of these vessels was empty and steering toward Qatar's Ras Laffan export facility to load cargoes before they began inching westward toward the Strait of Hormuz and then changed direction to turn away.
Separately, LSEG and Kpler data indicate an Indian-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude - loaded late last week - executed a U-turn off the tip of Oman at the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday.
Movements that continued
Despite the turnbacks, at least two very large crude carriers (VLCCs) managed to exit the strait. The VLCC Tenjun, managed by Nippon Yusen KK and loaded with 2 million barrels of Qatari crude in late February, cleared the Strait of Hormuz late on Tuesday. Another VLCC, Pertamina Pride, managed by Indonesia's state energy firm Pertamina and carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude loaded in early March, also transited out of the strait on Tuesday; shipping data show its transponder was switched off during the passage.
Nippon Yusen declined to comment on the Tenjun, and Pertamina did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Regional flows and capacity context
Since the conflict began in late February, at least 16 LNG cargoes from Ras Laffan and 10 from ADNOC's Das Island terminal have exited the Strait of Hormuz. While these movements continue, they represent a fraction of the roughly 7 million metric tons typically shipped from both export hubs each month, indicating a noticeable reduction relative to normal monthly volumes.
Vortexa analysts report a buildup of ballast and empty vessels awaiting loading at Ras Laffan, exceeding 10 ships in early July. The analytics firm also noted that more than 50 QatarEnergy- and ADNOC-controlled ballast vessels are positioned around the Middle East Gulf, India and the Malacca Strait, with some vessels switching off their Automatic Identification System signals for periods exceeding 10 days.
Implications
The turnbacks, combined with the reported damage to vessels and the raised maritime threat level, have contributed to visible changes in vessel routing and vessel behavior in the region, including transponder deactivations and a buildup of ballast ships awaiting cargo.