Saudi’s Yanbu port sees busy days despite Houthi threats; crude transits as oil tankers go dark

Yanbu port saw its busiest day since Houthi threats, with five VLCCs docked on Saturday, as per EU Sentinel-2 satellite imagery.

Saudi Arabia redirected exports via pipeline to Yanbu after Iran war disrupted Strait of Hormuz shipping, with tankers carrying 2 million barrels each.

Some tankers, including Greek-owned Suezmax Lesvos and India-flagged VLCC Desh Vaibhav, transited Bab el-Mandeb with transponders off, later seen off Oman.

An LNG tanker carrying Qatari cargo was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, heightening security concerns.

Friday saw 8.4 million barrels of crude exit the Persian Gulf, one of the highest daily volumes, despite disruptions.