Fleet of 10 Japan-related ships exit Hormuz, data shows

SINGAPORE/TOKYO (Reuters) – A fleet of 10 Japan-linked vessels ​was exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday while ‌a supertanker carrying Saudi crude for South Korea left over the weekend, shipping data on LSEG showed, after the ships ​were stranded in the Gulf for months because ​of the Iran war.

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The Japan-linked ships include six very ⁠large crude carriers loaded with 12 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude, two chemical tankers, a vehicle carrier and a container ship, the data showed. The tankers are carrying crudes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar that were loaded in late February to early March.

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Most of the vessels are managed by Japanese shipper Mitsui ‌O.S.K. ⁠Lines which had said it would prioritise the safety of its seafarers, cargo and vessels when traversing the strait.

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Mitsui OSK declined to comment.

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Separately, South Korean refiner S-Oil said on ⁠Monday that the VLCC Long Wind carrying oil for its refinery exited the strait on Saturday. The vessel, loaded with 2 million ⁠barrels of Saudi crude in early March, is expected to arrive at Onsan, South Korea, on July 26, ⁠LSEG data showed.