KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy, formerly known as Sapura Energy, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Friday, becoming the fourth ship linked to the country to transit the waterway since the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
The Sapura 1200 was among seven ships that the Malaysian Government had sought permission from Iran to clear the strait, which has been mostly closed off since the conflict broke out in late February disrupting global energy supplies, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The ship made its way through the strait, hewing close to the Iranian coastline, before heading for Oman, entering the Muscat port, LSEG data showed.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in March that Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.
Authorities have said the vessels Malaysia had asked for clearance include those owned by Vantris, shipping giant MISC Berhad and state energy firm PETRONAS
Other Malaysian-linked ships that have been given clearance so far include Liberian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Serifos, which exited the strait on April 10.
The tanker, carrying crude loaded from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early March, discharged its cargo at Malaysia's Malacca port on April 30.
Another VLCC, Ocean Thunder, loaded with Iraqi crude and chartered by a unit of Petronas, passed through the strait on April 5 and discharged its cargo of 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude at Malaysia's Pengerang on April 18.
A third vessel Mihzem, carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas and managed by an MISC unit, transited the waterway on Tuesday, becoming the second such cargo to cross under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan.
Two other MISC ships remain stuck in the Gulf, according to the sources and shipping data.- Reuters
