Strait of Hormuz Traffic Surges as Saudi Aramco Resumes Loadings and VLCC Earnings Near $510,000/Day

## Hormuz Traffic Rebounds as Aramco Returns to Strait Loadings Saudi Arabia's state energy giant Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loading operations from inside the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data and trade sources cited by gCaptain. The resumption marks a significant development for global oil markets, with Aramco also reported to be offering spot heavy crude cargoes and positioning additional tankers to load in the area. The move signals a degree of restored operational confidence in one of the world's most strategically critical maritime chokepoints, through which approximately 20% of global oil supply transits annually. The Strait had been subject to heightened scrutiny amid an uncertain security environment in the region. ## VLCC Earnings Approach Two-Month High The renewed export activity is already being reflected in freight markets. Earnings for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) operating on the Persian Gulf-to-Asia route are nearing $510,000 per day — close to a two-month high — as exporters compete for available tonnage to move crude through the Strait of Hormuz, gCaptain reports. The spike in supertanker earnings underscores the scale of demand for vessels capable of handling large crude parcels on the key eastbound trade lane. Asia remains the dominant destination for Middle Eastern crude, with buyers in China, India, Japan, and South Korea collectively accounting for the bulk of Persian Gulf export volumes. Analysts will be watching closely to see whether the earnings surge is sustained, or whether it represents a short-term spike driven by the backlog of cargoes that accumulated during the period of reduced Hormuz loadings. ## Market Implications The combination of Aramco's return to Strait of Hormuz operations and elevated VLCC rates points to a tightening of available tanker supply on one of shipping's most important corridors. For tanker owners and operators, the near-term outlook on the Middle East Gulf route appears constructive, though the security situation — described by sources as 'still uncertain' — remains a variable that could influence vessel routing decisions and war-risk insurance premiums. For oil importers in Asia, the resumption of normal Saudi loading operations should help ease concerns over supply continuity, though freight cost increases at current VLCC rate levels will inevitably feed through to delivered cargo economics. Shipping market participants will be monitoring whether other Gulf producers follow Saudi Arabia's lead in normalising Hormuz-route operations in the coming days.