SINGAPORE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to 33 vessels this week, from Monday to Thursday, compared to 50 during the same period last week. This decline comes as markets closely monitor talks between Iran and Oman for updates on reopening this crucial waterway.
On Thursday, four vessels passed through the strait, one of which was the large crude carrier Nissos Kea, which was transporting about 2 million barrels of Basrah crude oil loaded in Iraq, according to data from Kpler.
Among the other vessels, two were carrying liquefied petroleum gas while one was a minor bulk carrier.
This week, only six crude oil tankers have exited the strait, with a total of 21 vessels entering, primarily through the Iranian route.
Several refiners from China and India have been looking for ships this week to access the strait and load crude from Iraq's Basrah Oil Terminal, attracted by significant discounts, according to shipping sources.
However, no agreements have been made yet, as shipowners remain cautious about entering the strait.
Iraq's state oil marketer, SOMO, has been offering discounts of nearly $30 per barrel for Basrah Heavy and Basrah Medium crude oil for customers loading in August.
Normally, around 130 to 140 ships would pass through the strait, but the numbers decreased after Iran closed the waterway following the start of the U.S.-Israeli conflict on February 28.
Industry sources have indicated that a proposed deal giving Iran control over vessels entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz is challenging to implement due to U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance conditions on payments.
On Thursday, 26 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea, an increase from 19 the previous day, according to Kpler. LSEG reported 28 vessels using a different tracking method.