Saudi Arabia loads nearly 12 million barrels in one day as Hormuz tanker traffic adapts

Saudi Arabia’s main Gulf export terminals recorded their busiest crude-loading day since before the war, with six supertankers taking on nearly 12 million barrels at Ras Tanura and Juaymah on Sept. 21, according to shipping-data provider MarineTraffic.

The surge indicates that Saudi Aramco is restoring export capacity through the Gulf after attacks disrupted the kingdom’s East-West pipeline to the Red Sea.

Oil prices have retreated from their recent highs as traders respond to improving crude oil flows and hopes for US-Iran diplomacy.

As of 11:34am Tokyo time on Wednesday (Sept. 23, 2026), OilPrice.com data showed WTI crude at $89.96 a barrel, down $0.56 (0.62%); Brent crude at $98.98, down $0.27 (0.27%); and Murban crude at $108.70, down $1.35 (1.23%).

MarineTraffic said six Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs, loaded close to 12 million barrels at the Ras Tanura-Juaymah export complex on Sunday.

A VLCC typically carries about 2 million barrels of crude, meaning the six ship loadings represent a significant concentration of Saudi export activity in a single day.

Four of the tankers had entered the Gulf between Sept. 15 and 17 while in ballast — meaning they were empty — and were bound for Ras Tanura, the data provider said.

Reuters reported a slightly higher figure from TankerTrackers.com: Saudi Aramco loaded about 14 million barrels on seven VLCCs in the Gulf on Sunday.

The difference likely reflects distinct vessel-tracking methods, timing windows or terminal classifications used by the two data providers. Both datasets point to a sharp rebound in Saudi Gulf loadings.

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, however, remains well below normal levels.

Saudi Arabia has leaned more heavily on Gulf terminals after a drone strike forced the temporary shutdown of the East-West pipeline, a critical route that carries crude from the kingdom’s eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The pipeline allows Saudi Arabia to export without using Hormuz.

Its disruption forced Aramco to shift barrels back toward Ras Tanura and Juaymah, two terminals inside the Gulf whose export routes still depend on access through the strait, as per Reuters.

Trade sources told the agency that Aramco had sold roughly 60 million barrels from Ras Tanura for loading during September and October, with cargoes moved by "shuttle" tankers through Hormuz and transferred to larger vessels near Sohar, Oman.

Saudi Arabia has since repaired and restarted the East-West pipeline and was preparing to resume Yanbu loadings, with at least one China-bound cargo scheduled to load.

The record loading day does not mean shipping risks have disappeared.

MarineTraffic said 25 of 26 inbound "ballast" empty tanker crossings between Sept. 12 and 20 were classified as “Route Undetermined.”

That classification signals uncertainty in available voyage information and reflects how ships, owners and operators are adjusting routing, tracking and destination disclosures while the Hormuz situation remains unstable.

The number of vessels visibly transiting Hormuz has also fallen.

Shipping data showed only 17 commodity vessels crossed the strait during the Sept. 19-20 weekend, down from 37 a week earlier.

At the same time, satellite and tracking data indicate oil is still moving.

Saudi crude exports recovered to more than 4 million barrels per day so far in September, from about 2.4 million barrels per day in August — the kingdom’s lowest level since at least 2013, according to provisional Kpler data cited by shipping reports.

The heavy Saudi loading programme offers some relief to refiners and oil markets after weeks of concern that disruptions at Hormuz, the Red Sea and Saudi pipeline infrastructure could tighten global supply.

But the recovery depends on workarounds that are more expensive and operationally difficult than normal trade.

Ship-to-ship transfers near Oman require additional vessels, coordination and insurance coverage, while loading more crude inside the Gulf increases dependence on Hormuz at a time when security conditions remain fragile.

MarineTraffic’s data show that the regional shipping system is not back to normal. Tankers are moving — but they are moving cautiously, through less transparent routes.