Vessel is one of the first allowed to pass Strait of Hormuz
KUALA LUMPUR: An oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast, a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions to transit the vital sea route, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.
The Ocean Thunder loaded about one million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pengerang, Johor, in mid-April, Kpler data showed.
The vessel is travelling at approximately 12.8 knots/h and is registered under the Panama flag.
It departed Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates on April 3.
The tanker – which the data showed was chartered by Petco, a unit of state energy firm PETRONAS – is among seven Malaysia-linked vessels cleared by Iran to transit the strait, two people familiar with the matter said, which was reported by Reuters.
The people declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last month that Iran would allow stranded Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan later said there were seven ships linked to Malaysian companies – including PETRONAS, Vantris Energy and MISC – that were awaiting clearance to transit the waterway, Bernama reported.
Iran effectively closed the strait, a corridor that carries about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows, in response to US and Israeli airstrikes that began on Feb 28.
It later said it would allow passage for vessels without US or Israeli connections.
In recent days, three Omani-operated tankers, a French-owned container ship and a Japanese-owned gas carrier have crossed the strait.
Malaysia said on Wednesday that Iran would allow its ships to pass through the strait without paying any toll.
Iran has said it could levy fees on vessels sailing through the waterway.
