Saudi Aramco resumed crude oil loading operations at its Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf on Friday after a near four-month stoppage, shipping-tracking data from LSEG indicates.
The data showed two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) actively loading cargo at the terminal while a third VLCC was waiting nearby. Each VLCC has the capacity to load 2 million barrels of crude.
Attempts to reach Saudi Aramco for comment were unsuccessful outside office hours.
Background and recent movements
The last recorded cargo loading from Ras Tanura was on March 8, when a shipment was bound for China. Following that date, Saudi Aramco diverted its exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. That diversion occurred after an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz - implemented during its war with the United States and Israel - prevented tankers from entering the Gulf.
The LSEG data does not provide additional detail on which buyers are taking the newly loaded cargoes, nor does it disclose the specific timing of the individual loadings beyond the observed presence of the VLCCs at the Ras Tanura berth.
Regional production and export context
Shipping data and market observations cited show that Middle Eastern producers have been increasing output and exports in the wake of an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to halt the war. The data suggests a shift in logistics as Ras Tanura returns to active loading following the months-long rerouting of exports to Yanbu.
What is known and what is not
- Known: Two VLCCs were seen loading at Ras Tanura, and a third waited nearby, per LSEG data.
- Known: Each VLCC carries about 2 million barrels of oil.
- Known: Saudi Aramco last loaded a cargo from Ras Tanura on March 8 and had rerouted shipments to Yanbu due to an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during its war with the United States and Israel.
- Unknown: Company comment outside office hours; specific buyers and destinations for the resumed loadings were not detailed in the available shipping data.