Why is Saudi Aramco shifting oil shipments away from the Strait of Hormuz, and how is it doing so?

Saudi Aramco is shifting oil shipments away from the Strait of Hormuz to evade attacks during transit, following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war on February 28 — a conflict that has made the strait, which previously handled a fifth of the world’s oil and gas, increasingly unsafe. To achieve this, Aramco is using ship-to-ship (STS) transfers off Fujairah in the UAE or Sohar in Oman — both locations outside the strait — and has even resorted to shutting off tankers’ trackers during transit. Shipping data from Vortexa and Kpler confirms two recent STS transfers off Sohar involving supertankers carrying a total of 4 million barrels of Saudi crude bound for China.

Which Chinese refiners are receiving the Saudi crude delivered via STS transfers outside the Strait of Hormuz, and what are the delivery details?

The world’s largest refiner, Sinopec, is receiving both cargoes delivered via STS transfers outside the Strait of Hormuz: the VLCC Xin Hui Yang — which received its cargo from the Singapore Prosperity around August 22 and is expected to arrive at Ningbo port in eastern China on September 15 — and the VLCC Xin Han Yang — which received its cargo from the Algeria Prosperity on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at Zhanjiang port in southern China on September 12. Additionally, Aramco sold at least 4 million barrels of heavier crude grades (Arab Medium and Arab Heavy) to PetroChina and Sinochem last week after resuming loading at Ras Tanura port earlier in August.

Aramco Offers More Oil Outside Hormuz with Cargoes Heading to China

Aug 26, 2026

Saudi Aramco is increasing oil offerings outside the Strait of Hormuz via ship-to-ship transfers to supply Chinese refiners amid regional security concerns. Shipping data confirms multiple cargoes en route to major Chinese ports including Ningbo and Zhanjiang.

reuters

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