Saudi Aramco has restarted oil loading operations at its Ras Tanura terminal along the Gulf coast, ending a near four-month shutdown, according to shipping data from LSEG released Friday.
The data indicates two Very Large Crude Carriers — each with a capacity of 2 million barrels of oil — were actively taking on crude at the terminal, with a third vessel waiting in the area.
Attempts to reach Saudi Aramco for comment outside of business hours were unsuccessful.
According to the shipping data, the last time the company loaded a cargo from the Ras Tanura port was March 8, when a shipment was sent to China. After that, Saudi Aramco was forced to redirect all of its exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, after Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — during its war with the U.S. and Israel — cut off access to the Gulf for shipping vessels.
With the United States and Iran having reached an interim agreement to bring the war to a halt, energy producers across the Middle East have been increasing both their output and their export activity.
