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Saudi Aramco Resumes Crude Oil Loadings in the Strait of Hormuz After a Three-Week Pause

Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loadings from its Ras Tanura and Juaymah terminals located within the Strait of Hormuz, ending a three-week gap in activity. The move follows a period of escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict, which caused the company to halt sales from inside the strait due to attacks on its tanker fleet. While the strait is reopening, Saudi Arabia is also diversifying its export routes to mitigate risks from Houthi militants. Due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, exports from the port of Yanbu have dropped significantly. To compensate, Saudi Arabia has increased exports through the Sumed pipeline to Egypt's Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir. However, because the journey around Africa to reach Asian markets is longer and more expensive, some Asian refiners are requesting to collect their oil from Sidi Kerir instead of Yanbu. Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser noted that the kingdom has multiple alternative pathways to ensure supply, even as the logistics costs for the Mediterranean route remain higher than traditional routes.

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