According to informed sources, since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, companies such as Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company have continued to transport crude oil through this waterway.
Although the overall shipping volume is only a fraction of what it was before Tehran closed this oil passage nearly ten weeks ago, the activities of these two companies indicate that some supplies are still managing to flow into the global market. Throughout the conflict, Iran has consistently posed a threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and after being attacked by the United States on Friday, it seized a vessel, even though the ship appeared to be a sanctioned vessel carrying Iran's own oil.
Saudi Aramco declined to comment, while Abu Dhabi National Oil Company did not respond to requests for comment.
Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March, the global supply crisis has intensified. Companies are taking higher risks and paying higher costs to transport goods out. To avoid detection, most vessels are transiting with their transponders turned off.
According to informed sources, among the companies whose production and supply have been hindered in the Persian Gulf, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company was one of the first to transport crude oil, fuel, and natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz. The company had supplied Upper Zakum crude to customers from waters near Fujairah, located outside the Persian Gulf, even though this crude type is typically loaded from Zirku Island.
In late April, a supertanker carrying Abu Dhabi crude oil ventured out of the Persian Gulf by crossing the heavily guarded Strait of Hormuz with its transponder turned off—since the outbreak of the war, hundreds of vessels have been stranded in the region.
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