Gemini relaunch to Khor Fakkan adds capacity amid port congestion
First sailing departs Qingdao 17 October as UAE gateway shows signs of pressure from volumes shifted outside Strait of Hormuz.
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Chokepoints
38 pieces · 4 desks
Chokepoints
Seven crew missing after tanker strikes near Sulina canal
Drone attacks on two chemical tankers off Romania left seven sailors missing and disrupted traffic through the Danube export corridor.
CMA CGM sustains Suez Canal return as large vessel transits surge
SCA reports 166 medium and large container ships crossed between July and September 2026, up from 16 in the same period last year.
Dubai inflation eases to 5.03% in September as fuel costs remain elevated
Annual price growth slowed from 5.54% in August, with transport costs up 14.7% year-on-year.
Tanker struck 51 nautical miles north of Qatar reports casualties
UKMTO confirms multiple projectile hits on vessel in third reported attack within 48 hours across the Gulf region.
Iraq ships 2 million barrels via Hormuz on first VLCC run in decades
State tanker company completes maiden very large crude carrier voyage as Baghdad seeks alternative export routes following Strait disruption.
Supertankers avoid Gulf transfer hub as freight costs surge
Empty vessels turn from Persian Gulf as Iranian attacks disrupt ship-to-ship operations and tanker rates reach record levels.
Earlier
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Gulf crude exports recover while diesel stays scarce at 58% of pre-war flow
G7 announced 100 million barrel emergency release as global inventories fell 507 million barrels since February.
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Japanese refiners return to Middle East crude via ship transfers
Japan-linked tankers picking up cargoes in Gulf of Oman offshore transfers, avoiding Strait of Hormuz transits.
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Oil benchmarks diverge as WTI rises 0.67%, Brent falls below $106
OPEC Basket recorded strongest gain at 4.14% while Murban crude dropped 1.49% in early Wednesday trading.
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Saudi crude flows through Hormuz reach 2.58 million bpd in September
Shipments through the strait rose to their highest level since the Iran conflict began as Red Sea traffic fell by more than half.
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Egypt calls for Red Sea navigation security as Iran tensions rise
Foreign minister Abdelatty stresses freedom of navigation through Bab Al-Mandab in calls with Gulf and US counterparts.
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Middle East oil exports reach 12.8 million bpd in September recovery
Saudi Arabia restored half its Red Sea pipeline capacity while Hormuz flows climbed to near 80 percent of prewar levels.
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Kallas Calls for 10-Warship EU Red Sea Force as Houthi Threat Escalates
EU foreign policy chief says Operation Aspides needs four more vessels to meet original deployment target amid rising attacks on shipping.
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Hormuz transit at 17 vessels versus pre-crisis 125, Qatar LNG expansion faces equipment delays
QatarEnergy warns strait disruption is delaying North Field buildout equipment deliveries as crossings remain constrained.
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Sharjah-Oman corridor cargo value rises 66% to Dh1.7bn in Q1
Truck movements exceeded 34,000 through the two-crossing system in its first three months of operation.
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Strait of Hormuz disruptions worst global trade threat in 80 years, WTO chief warns
Fertiliser shipment restrictions through the strait are contributing to converging food crisis risk alongside Ukraine war and El Niño effects.
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South Korea denies immediate Strait of Hormuz deployment plans
Presidential office says no decision made on military assets for the waterway as internal evaluations continue.
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China asks Iran to restrain Houthis after Saudi appeal on Red Sea
Beijing's private message followed Houthi advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast that exposed Saudi oil exports to increased risk.
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Brent crude drops to $104.59 as Saudi Arabia routes oil shipments via Oman
West Texas Intermediate fell to $101.29 per barrel following reports of alternative export arrangements through Sohar port.
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Saudi Arabia routes 20 million barrels through Hormuz as pipeline stays offline
Aramco moved crude to Asian refiners via ship-to-ship transfers in Gulf of Oman, up from 4 million barrels in August.
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China crude stocks fall as refinery intake climbs to 15-month low
Diesel and gasoline inventories at state majors down 2.4 and 2.9 percent respectively in week to August 12.
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US crude inventories rise 7.1 million barrels as Iran conflict disrupts flows
API data shows gasoline and distillate stocks also gained in week ending September 11.
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Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd resume four Suez Canal services
AE5, AE11, AE12 and ME2 routes return to Red Sea corridor after Cape of Good Hope diversions.
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Dry bulk voyage times up 19% since 2020 as slow steaming tightens fleet
Average laden voyage now runs 22.42 days, removing effective capacity as freight rates surge to multi-year highs.
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Brent crude up 3.2% as Saudi East-West Pipeline closes after drone strike
Seven million barrels per day of export capacity offline; WTI gains 3.3% to $103 per barrel.
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WEC Lines Opens Nador-Portugal Container Service with 868-TEU Vessels
Dutch carrier launches weekly rotation linking Moroccan port to Setúbal and northern Europe starting September 10.
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Bab al-Mandab transits show conflicting data as Houthis take coast
Houthi statement reports 73 vessels in 48 hours while Kpler data shows Friday crossings fell to 15 from 30 the previous day.
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Physical oil trading now governed by compliance layers, say executives
Route safety, insurance and bank financing must clear before price assessment, APPEC panel reports.
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Coal demand forecast raised to 8.94 billion tonnes on Hormuz LNG disruption
IEA revises 2026 global consumption upward by 1.2 percent as gas prices drive shift to coal-fired generation.
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Kuwait Petroleum explores Saudi and UAE pipeline links amid Hormuz constraints
State energy company pursuing regional routing alternatives as disruption cuts production by 900,000 barrels per day since February.
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Egypt crude import bill hits $2.2bn as Hormuz disruption drives prices
First-half 2026 spending more than triples year-on-year as Brent reaches $97.35 and strait traffic falls to May lows.
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Iraq Tendering for Supertankers as Hormuz Exports Pass 3m bpd
Baghdad seeks vessels to maintain crude flows through the strait as exports recover to pre-conflict levels using ship-to-ship transfers.
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Houthis seize Mokha port 75km from Bab al-Mandeb Strait
Government forces relocate south to Dhubab as group expands control over Yemen's Red Sea coastline.
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Iraq Chartering Multiple Tankers for Hormuz Strait Crude Runs
Baghdad moving to control shuttle operations directly after Basra loadings recovered to 2 million barrels per day in August.
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Brent crude up 5% weekly as Hormuz war premium holds
WTI gains 7 percent for the week with October contract at $91.80, strongest settlement since late July.
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Qatar ports handle 120,000 tonnes bulk cargo in August, up 168%
Vessel calls rose 13 percent and livestock movements climbed 191 percent at Hamad, Ruwais and Doha ports.
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Container reliability drops to 56.4% as Asian port congestion spreads
Average delay for late arrivals climbed to 6.06 days in July 2026, with Shanghai recording just 21% on-time performance.