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Middle East oil producers use 'dark' transits to bypass Iranian drone threats
Oil producers in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are employing a 'dark' transit tactic to move crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. To mitigate the risk of Iranian drone attacks, tankers are deactivating their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and conducting nighttime passages under the protection of the US Navy.
This strategy shifts the burden of physical danger and insurance costs from commercial shippers to the oil producers and the US government. The Greek-owned supertanker Kiku serves as a notable example; the vessel disappeared from maritime tracking on July 31 after switching off its transponder and reappeared on August 1 on the other side of the strait.
According to the US Department of Energy, this method has proven effective. While traditional shipping trackers like Kpler may underestimate volumes due to missing transponder data, the actual oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz is estimated to average between 8 million and 9 million barrels per day.
Entities
Iran · Kiku · Strait of Hormuz · US Department of Energy · US Navy · United States Department of Energy · United States Navy
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz averages between 8 million and 9 million barrels per day. n1info.ba · www.europesays.com · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Tankers are deactivating AIS transponders to avoid Iranian drone attacks. n1info.ba · www.europesays.com · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Kiku supertanker disappeared from tracking on July 31 and reappeared on August 1. n1info.ba · www.europesays.com · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] Oil companies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates are using dark transits to move crude. n1info.ba · www.europesays.com · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr
- [● 4 SOURCES] The US Navy provides escorts for these nighttime oil transits. n1info.ba · www.europesays.com · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr