Hormuz Traffic Plummets: Daily Ship Crossings Crash from 135 to Just 10

Traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz has collapsed, with daily vessel crossings falling sharply to under 10 from an average of 135 in February. This has caused severe congestion, stranding an estimated 125 million barrels of crude oil in the region and halving Middle East Gulf crude shipments. The disruption poses a significant risk to global energy flows, with India particularly vulnerable as nearly half its crude and most LPG imports transit this route. Analysts describe the situation as a "seismic shock," warning that normalization could take months even if a West Asia ceasefire is achieved.

Key Points: Strait of Hormuz Traffic Drops 93%, Disrupting Global Oil Flows

  • Daily vessel crossings plummet to under 10 from 135
  • 125 million barrels of crude stranded in Gulf
  • India's crude and LPG imports heavily impacted
  • Severe congestion with 850 tankers clustered
  • Middle East crude shipments halved
2 min read

Hormuz traffic plunges sharply, daily vessel crossings drop to 10 from 135 in Feb: S&P Global Energy

Daily vessel crossings through the critical Strait of Hormuz have plunged to under 10 from 135, stranding 125M barrels of oil and severely impacting global energy supply.

"seismic shock for marine transport and upstream sectors - S&P Global Energy"

New Delhi, March 18

Traffic through the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint has dropped sharply, with fewer than 10 vessels crossing daily since March 2, down from an average of 135 in February, S&P Global Energy said at a media webinar on Wednesday.

The strait typically carries 14.1 million barrels per day of crude and 5.4 million barrels of refined products, underscoring its importance to global energy supply.

The slowdown has led to severe congestion, with around 850 oil tankers clustered in the region. Daily tanker transits have fallen to just two to three, compared to the usual 60.

The impact is also visible in reduced loadings, with Middle East Gulf crude shipments averaging 7.4 million barrels per day in March so far, less than half of late February levels.

An estimated 125 million barrels of crude oil are currently stranded in the Gulf, awaiting clearance to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to S&P Global Energy, highlighting a growing disruption in global oil flows.

For India, the Strait of Hormuz is key as 90 per cent of the LPG imports pass through the critical route. Around 42 per cent of India's crude oil imports pass through the Hormuz, which is effectively disrupted due to the West Asia conflict.

S&P Global Energy said India's Russian crude buying has intensified, and because of which dependent on Hormuz dependent sources have declined, or are likely to decline.

During the webinar, S&P Global Energy said that the disruption in Hormuz has been a "seismic shock" for marine transport and upstream sectors.

Even as a ceasefire is reached by the parties involved in the West Asia conflict, total normalisation would take time, possibly months, one of the speakers said during the webinar.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see we are buying more from Russia. Diversifying our sources is the only way to be secure. We can't be held hostage by one chokepoint. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
"Seismic shock" is right. 850 tankers just waiting? The global economy runs on oil. This will hit everyone's pocket, not just India. Hope for a quick diplomatic solution.
S
Sarah B
While diversifying to Russian crude is a pragmatic short-term fix, we must accelerate our transition to renewables. Long-term energy security lies in solar and wind, not volatile shipping lanes.
V
Vikram M
From 135 to 10 vessels daily? That's a collapse. The article says normalization could take months even after a ceasefire. Brace for impact on petrol and diesel prices, folks. 😟
K
Karthik V
This shows how fragile global supply chains are. One conflict far away and our daily life is affected. Time to invest seriously in strategic petroleum reserves and alternative routes.

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