Iran has resumed loading crude from its Kharg Island export terminal after a break of about six weeks, following the lifting of a US Navy blockade of its ports.
Three very large crude carriers, each capable of hauling about 2 million barrels of crude, are moored at the Sea Island terminal to the west of Kharg, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It’s the latest sign Iran is pushing ahead with loading and exporting millions of barrels of its crude as an interim deal with the US opens up supply lines.
A picture from the European Union’s Sentinel-2 satellite captured earlier Saturday shows two of those vessels already berthed, with the third approaching the jetty. A similar image from Friday, from the Sentinel-1 orbiter, shows the berths empty. In the period since May 6 only a single VLCC has been seen moored at either of the island’s two jetties in satellite images covering 27 of the 44 days.
Iran has been the early winner from the easing of tensions with the US following the signing of an interim peace deal and has wasted no time in resuming oil exports.
While international shippers with vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf have been reluctant to transit the Strait of Hormuz amid uncertainty over their safety, Iran has been able to move about 20 million barrels of its crude on tankers that were anchored off the port of Chabahar, near the country’s border with Pakistan.
It has also moved empty tankers into the Persian Gulf, including the three now moored at Kharg – Stream, Impalas and Lauren II. All were observed crossing the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf on Thursday. The island hosts Iran’s most critical oil-loading infrastructure, accounting for around 90% of its crude shipment.
In a related move, some of the tankers that have been anchored off Kharg island for weeks are starting to move toward Hormuz. The VLCCs are approaching Lavan Island in the southern Gulf after appearing to leave Kharg in recent days. With at least 20 tankers of various sizes anchored east of Kharg, Iran likely has plenty more crude ready to ship out of the Gulf.
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