Four vessels managed by Dynacom Tankers have recently managed to enter the Hormuz Strait, which was recently closed by Iran amid its conflict with US-Israel forces.
This brings the total tally—of Dynacom's vessels entering the dangerous marine passageway—to five, as roughly 200 non-sanctioned tankers—that are compliant with international maritime trade norms—have been brought to a halt due to the chaos in the Gulf.
Lloyd’s List explained that the disruption had left these tankers either anchored, berthed at terminals, or slow steaming as operators await clarity on security conditions.
Slow steaming is a maritime industry practice in which ships significantly lower their speeds to save fuel and reduce emissions.
This also comes after the Liberian-flagged suezmax crude oil tanker Pola (IMO: 9493767) entered the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, after which it headed to the Jebel Dhanna Port in Abu Dhabi.
Adopting a tactic typically used by shadow fleet vessels, the non-sanctioned 15,000 dwt tanker went dark—turned off its AIS transponder late on Monday—as it travelled through the Hormuz Strait despite Iran's official closure.
It then reappeared on March 3 off the coast of Abu Dhabi, a Reuters report said, citing LSEG data.
Beginning its voyage from Gujarat's Mundra Port, the Pola had been heading to the port of Jebel Dhanna to load Abu Dhabi Murban crude for Thailand, the report added, citing two trade sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The ongoing war between Iran and the US-Israeli forces, which has reached its sixth day, has massively impacted the flow of energy exports—20 per cent of which go through the Hormuz Strait—amid Tehran's attacks on vessels and energy facilities in various Middle Eastern countries.
For more maritime and shipping news and views, visit: Maritime, Ahoy!