Saudi Aramco has expanded its September oil loadings outside the Strait of Hormuz, offering additional cargoes to Asian buyers via ship-to-ship transfers off Fujairah in the UAE and Sohar in Oman. The move follows the restart of oil loading at the Ras Tanura port earlier in August and underscores efforts to mitigate risks amid regional instability.
The state-owned energy company has sold at least 4 million barrels of heavier grades—Arab Medium and Arab Heavy—to PetroChina and Sinochem in recent weeks. Two supertankers, each carrying 4 million barrels of Saudi crude, are now en route to China after completing transfers to separate Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs). Bids for the latest round of sales are due on Wednesday.
Shipping data indicates Aramco has increasingly relied on tankers with tracking systems disabled to avoid potential disruptions while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that historically handled one-fifth of global oil and gas flows before tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated in late February.
The two confirmed shipments are being transported by VLCCs Singapore Prosperity and Algeria Prosperity, which transferred their cargoes around August 22 and Tuesday, respectively. The Singapore Prosperity transferred its load to the VLCC Xin Hui Yang, scheduled to arrive at Ningbo port in eastern China on September 15. Meanwhile, the Algeria Prosperity transferred its cargo to the VLCC Xin Han Yang, expected to reach Zhanjiang port in southern China on September 12. Both shipments are destined for Sinopec, the world’s largest refiner, according to data from Vortexa and Kpler.
The shift in logistics reflects Aramco’s strategy to diversify export routes and reduce exposure to geopolitical risks in the Persian Gulf, where maritime security remains a persistent concern.
