Fewer than 20 ships transit key Strait of Hormuz over weekend, data shows
XLE•LPG and tanker traffic dominated
Eight very large gas carriers transited the strait over the past three days, the data showed, six of them entering empty while the others carried liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) loaded from Iran and exited the Gulf.
Overall traffic volumes remained suppressed in the week to August 21, as vessels aborted transit plans or switched routes through the strait's north after attacks, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said in a report.
A total of 89 vessels exited the strait while 103 entered over the seven-day period, the report, based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, showed.
"Traffic remains well below normal levels, with AIS-detected transits approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines and declining since the June 24 to June 26 peak," it added.
Tanker traffic, at 45% of the total, continued to dominate movement through the strait, the agency said. Of these, 56% were tankers that carry crude oil, oil products or chemicals while LPG carriers accounted for a further 24%.
