SINGAPORE, March 4 - A Suezmax oil tanker navigated the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday and is now heading to a United Arab Emirates terminal to load crude, according to industry contacts and vessel-tracking records.
LSEG tracking data indicate the vessel Pola disabled its AIS transponder late on March 2 as it approached the strait, then re-appeared on March 3 off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Industry sources said the ship is en route to the port of Jebel Dhanna to take on Abu Dhabi Murban crude for a cargo bound for Thailand. Two trade sources provided that information on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the situation.
The ship is managed by Dynacom Tankers, which could not be immediately reached for comment outside office hours.
The voyage comes in the context of a wider disruption to regional energy shipping after the conflict described in reports as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Those reports note that Tehran has carried out attacks on ships and energy infrastructure, that navigation in the Gulf has been closed at times, and that production has been halted in countries including Qatar and Iraq.
Vessel-tracking firm Vortexa recorded a sharp drop in crude tanker transits through the Strait of Hormuz. On March 1 - the day after hostilities began - just four crude tankers transited the strait, compared with an average of 24 transits per day in January, the data showed.
The movement of Pola and the broader pattern of reduced transits underscore the immediate operational disruptions affecting shipping lanes in the region. Sources and tracking data provide the basis for the account of the vessel's route and intended cargo, while statements from the vessel's managers were not available at the time of reporting.
Given the sensitivity noted by the trade sources, confirmation from market participants and operators remains limited. The facts reported here reflect the available shiptracking data and anonymous trade confirmations.