A Japan-linked crude tanker appears to have completed a rare outbound passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as tanker traffic in the Persian Gulf remains heavily restricted.
The laden VLCC Idemitsu Maru started moving late Monday from an area northwest of Abu Dhabi after remaining idle for more than a week. Tracking data cited in the source shows the vessel used a northern route near Qeshm and Larak islands and cleared the strait on Tuesday.
The Panama-flagged tanker, built in 2007, is carrying 2 MMbbl of crude loaded at Saudi Arabia’s Juaymah terminal in early March. It is listed as operated by the tanker unit of Japanese energy group Idemitsu Kosan Co. and is currently showing Nagoya, Japan, as its destination, with arrival expected on 18 May.
The passage is significant because Japanese refiners and shipowners have taken a cautious approach since the Iran war began. The vessel had entered the Persian Gulf shortly before attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel in late February.
A spokesperson for Idemitsu Kosan Co. said the company would not discuss individual vessel movements for safety reasons.
The source noted that vessel-tracking data in the Strait of Hormuz may be incomplete, as some ships switch off transponders and signals in the area can be disrupted.
If confirmed, the transit would mark a change in Japan-linked tanker activity. Gulf shipping has remained limited, with traffic through the strait near zero since the U.S. began blocking Iranian ships two weeks ago.
Japan remains highly dependent on Middle East crude, but its operators have used other options during the conflict. These include ship-to-ship transfers outside the Persian Gulf and purchases of U.S. crude moved on smaller tankers. Some Japan-linked vessels have transited the strait during the war, but those voyages involved other commodities, not crude oil.
