Vessel traffic through Hormuz dwindles this week as markets watch Iran-Oman talks

By Reuters

SINGAPORE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dwindled to 33 vessels from Monday to Thursday this week, data showed, ​versus 50 in the week-ago period, as markets watched talks ‌between Iran and Oman for signs of progress in reopening the key waterway.

Four vessels transited the strait on Thursday, including a very large crude carrier, Nissos Kea, ​carrying about 2 million barrels of Basrah crude loaded in ​Iraq, Kpler data showed.

Of the rest, two were laden with ⁠liquefied petroleum gas and one was a minor bulk carrier.

Just six ​crude oil tankers have exited the strait this week, Kpler data showed. ​A total of 21 vessels have entered it so far, mostly via the Iranian route.

Several Chinese and Indian refiners have sought vessels this week to enter the ​strait and load crude at Iraq's Basrah Oil Terminal, attracted by ​steep discounts, shipping sources said.

However, no vessels have been fixed so far as shipowners ‌are ⁠wary of entering the waterway, they said.

Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO offered discounts of close to $30 a barrel for Basrah Heavy and Basrah Medium crude to customers for August loading.

Typically, about 130 to 140 ships ​would transit the ​strait before Iran ⁠closed the waterway after the U.S.-Israeli war began on February 28.

A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to ​give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through ​the Strait ⁠of Hormuz is not easily workable because of U.S. sanctions and restrictive insurance clauses on payments, industry sources said.

On Thursday, 26 vessels transited the Bab ⁠el-Mandeb ​strait on the Red Sea, up from ​19 a day before, Kpler data showed. LSEG counted 28 vessels, using a different tracking ​system and methodology.

Reporting by Siyi Liu in Singapore; Editing by Clarence Fernandez