SINGAPORE, May 13 (Reuters) – A Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz after being stuck in the Gulf for over two months due to tensions betw...
SINGAPORE, May 13 (Reuters) – A Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz after being stuck in the Gulf for over two months due to tensions between the U.S. and Iran, according to ship-tracking data from LSEG and Kpler.
The Very Large Crude Carrier Yuan Hua Hu is now anchored in the Gulf of Oman, close to a U.S. Navy blockade aimed at Iranian vessels, as shown by the LSEG data.
This crossing occurs as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in the next two days, following a visit to Beijing by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi last week.
This journey marks the third known passage of a Chinese oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict between the U.S. and Israel with Iran began on February 28, based on ship-tracking information.
Reports suggest that Iran has been tightening its grip on the strait lately, negotiating agreements with Iraq and Pakistan to export oil and liquefied natural gas from the area, according to knowledgeable sources.
Other nations are also looking into similar agreements, which could further strengthen Tehran’s control over this crucial waterway, sources added.
The Chinese VLCC is owned and managed by the Hainan unit of COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation and chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of China’s state-owned oil company Sinopec.
Both COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation and Sinopec did not provide immediate comments when approached.
The Yuan Hua Hu loaded almost 2 million barrels of Basrah Medium crude at Iraq’s Basrah terminal in early March and has remained in the Gulf until now, as per tracking data. Its destination is Asia.
Other Chinese-flagged VLCCs, Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai, successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz on April 11.
Additionally, a vehicle carrier named Xiang Jiang Kou passed through the strait in the last 12 hours, broadcasting a signal indicating “Chinese vessel and crew,” according to satellite analyses by SynMax and data from the MarineTraffic platform. This vessel is operated by the Singapore-registered group Xin Yin Chuang Yuan 6 Tiajin.