Iraq's state Oil Tanker Company said it moved 2 million barrels of crude on a VLCC through the Strait of Hormuz, which its director general called the company's first such operation in decades.
Iraq's state-owned Oil Tanker Company transported 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude on a very large crude carrier through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Saturday. Director general Ali Qais Abdul Jabbar described it as the company's first such operation in decades.
The shipment means the company is moving crude through the strait rather than only delivering it at Basra, which Reuters said gives state marketer SOMO more flexibility on where and how it sells oil. Abdul Jabbar said the move could let SOMO use better sales and pricing opportunities.
He also said the tanker company is working to buy specialized crude tankers to expand its fleet. Reuters noted that Iraq has previously secured Iranian permission for Iraqi tankers to transit Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed during its conflict with the United States.
The announcement is a company statement about one cargo, not a reopening of normal regional flows. Independent tracking of the voyage was not included in the Reuters report.
Further sailings would show whether the operation becomes a regular SOMO export route or remains a one-off during the disruption.