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Hundreds of ships drop anchor in Middle East Gulf, data shows​

Source: Reuters

March 1, 2026 6:46 AM EST

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - At least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint, shipping data showed on Sunday, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into turmoil.

The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as liquefied natural gas giant Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.

Many of the vessels were stationary within exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the key Gulf countries, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, according to MarineTraffic data. An EEZ extends up to 24 miles and beyond local territorial limits of 12 nautical miles. Dozens of cargo ships were separately clustered across various EEZs, the data showed.

Some 20% of global oil, including from producers Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran, passes through Hormuz, along with large volumes of LNG from Qatar. In addition, at least another 100 tankers were anchored outside of the strait, along the UAE and Omani coasts and anchorage points as well as dozens of cargo ships, according to the data.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/en...-us-war-iran-escalates-data-shows-2026-03-01/
 
James48843 said:

Hundreds of ships drop anchor in Middle East Gulf, data shows​

Source: Reuters

March 1, 2026 6:46 AM EST

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - At least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint, shipping data showed on Sunday, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into turmoil.

The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as liquefied natural gas giant Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.

Many of the vessels were stationary within exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the key Gulf countries, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, according to MarineTraffic data. An EEZ extends up to 24 miles and beyond local territorial limits of 12 nautical miles. Dozens of cargo ships were separately clustered across various EEZs, the data showed.

Some 20% of global oil, including from producers Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran, passes through Hormuz, along with large volumes of LNG from Qatar. In addition, at least another 100 tankers were anchored outside of the strait, along the UAE and Omani coasts and anchorage points as well as dozens of cargo ships, according to the data.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/en...-us-war-iran-escalates-data-shows-2026-03-01/
Click to expand...
So, was this situation on their radar before the bombs started dropping?
 
I saw gas around here yesterday and today over $3/gal for the first time in a long time.
 
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This episode will look at the events of the last 24 hours regarding shipping and what impact this will have on the global tanker fleet and market.

BLUF: For full coverage, you need War-Risk insurance to go through, so shipping companies are sitting back waiting. 20% of Global oil comes out of this strait.
 
Surprisingly gas dropped into the low $2.60's/gallon in most of the stations around me. Especially after seeing a couple of them over $3/gal. yesterday. Fueled up for $2.63/gal. this morning. Wonder what it will look like by the end of the week.
 
In southeast VA yesterday evening I saw $2.67 at my usual station on the outskirts of town, while the wawa gas station closer to the highway was $3.10.
 
Every gas station I passed last night going to a ski club meeting gas was priced at $3.19/gallon.
 
As of noon Eastern time, about 150 ships are anchored waiting for the Straits of Hormuz to reopen.

No American ships anywhere near - they are busy elsewhere at the moment.

The Strait remains shut down.

Red squares are tankers at anchor. Red ships are tankers drifting or moving less than 5 knots. Green are cargo ships.


IMG_8744.jpeg
 
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China Tells Top Refiners to Halt Diesel and Gasoline Exports​

Source: Yahoo! Finance/Bloomberg

Thu, March 5, 2026 at 4:34 AM EST 2 min read

(Bloomberg) -- China's government has told the country’s top oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline as an escalating conflict in the Persian Gulf disrupts the arrival of crude from one of the world’s largest producing regions.

While the country is only the third-largest supplier of oil products into the region — its vast refining sector primarily serves domestic demand — China's curbs just six days into a war reflect a scramble across Asia to prioritize domestic needs as the crisis in the Middle East deepens.

Officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planner, called for a temporary suspension of refined product shipments that would begin immediately, according to people familiar with the matter. They asked not to be named as the discussions are not public.

At a meeting earlier this week, refiners were told to stop signing new contracts and to negotiate the cancellation of already-agreed shipments, the people said. An exception was made for jet and bunker fuel held in bonded storage and supplies to Hong Kong and Macau, they added.

china-is-asias-third-biggest-fuel-exporter-asian-nation-com.jpg


Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-tells-top-refiners-halt-040847251.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
 
Like it or not, the resources to both escort and protect aren't there.

GROK Projection: One week ahead (March 12), the outlook points to continued elevation, likely $80–90+ per barrel, with risks of spikes toward $100 if disruptions persist. Analysts (Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, UBS) cite ongoing low Hormuz flows, potential supply losses (up to 4–5 million bpd from Iraq/Kuwait/Iran if prolonged), and high war-risk premiums. Gradual recovery assumes partial reopening within weeks, but current military operations and threats suggest sustained pressure.

This echoes 1973/1979 oil shocks, where geopolitical chokepoint crises drove rapid 2–3x gains before easing on adaptation or resolution.

GROK: No fixed number of ships "needs" escort right now (March 5, 2026), as transit has effectively halted due to the conflict and threats. Contemporary shipping data shows:
  • Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to zero on March 3–4 (from a normal ~50 large tankers daily in both directions).
  • At least 200–240 vessels (including oil/LNG tankers and cargo ships) are anchored or clustered in/near the Gulf, waiting to exit or enter.
  • Broader estimates reach over 3,000 vessels stuck in Persian Gulf ports or approaches, though many are not tankers.
The U.S. Navy cannot currently escort at scale for resuming normal traffic. With ~16+ warships in the region (including two carrier strike groups: USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, plus destroyers and others), capacity remains limited by active operations against Iranian naval forces (e.g., strikes sinking multiple Iranian ships). Reports confirm the Navy informed industry it lacks immediate escort availability until the initial military phase concludes. U.S. law further restricts escorts to U.S.-linked vessels unless exceptions or coalitions apply

03 Mar 2026: Trump orders oil tanker insurance support, says Navy could escort ships in Gulf

04 Mar 2026: SSY said the US Navy "has privately told the industry it will lack escort capacity until the initial stage of the military operation is complete. An additional issue is that US law does not allow the country's navy to escort ships that are not US-flagged or -owned, or have no US crew, the firm said.
 
The Speedway around the corner is showing $2.63/gal. That's down from $3.19 two days ago. In a 5 mile radius from me gas ranges from $2.63 to $3.49 according to Gas Buddy.
 
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