The very large crude oil tanker (VLCC) Kin A, also known as Helga, appeared on the monitoring screen on May 2 in the area off Duqm, Oman coast, after being recorded more than 3 days earlier as heading towards the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, this super oil tanker was loading goods at Basra port in Iraq. The ship was likely to have passed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 29.
According to IraqiNews.com, official sources from the Iraqi Navy Command confirmed on April 24 that the Comoros flag ship Helga had arrived at the oil port of Basra. The ship, with a crew of 30, was tasked with unloading 1 million barrels of crude oil. Notably, this is the 2nd ship to pass through the Strait of Hormuz towards Iraqi ports recently, after a Greek-owned ship flying the Malta flag.
US media commented that this journey is feasible considering the distance traveled and the time interval between signals. Satellite images also show a VLCC ship anchored in the correct position in Basra coinciding with Kin A's signal, although it is not possible to accurately identify the ship from these images. If confirmed, this will be one of about more than 10 VLCC ships carrying non-Iranian goods passing through the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of March.
Previously, the super oil tanker Kin A participated in transporting Venezuelan crude oil to Asia, as well as oil storage and transshipment activities in the Riau Islands, east of Singapore - an area widely known for the operation of the "dark fleet".
In another development, the very large gas tanker Sarv Shakti transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to India, left the Strait of Hormuz on the morning of May 2. A similar-scale gas tanker, also related to India, went in the opposite direction.
In addition to the 3 ships mentioned above, commercial transport activities through the Strait of Hormuz from the morning of May 1 to the afternoon of May 2 were quite limited, mainly small ships linked to China or Iran.
This restriction of movement suggests that access to the strait seems to be being limited to some selected, regionally linked or approved vessels.
The number of ships leaving the Persian Gulf on the morning of May 2 was still low. In addition to Sarv Shakti, only 2 ships related to China (one bulk ship and one small oil product ship) and one ship carrying asphalt/bitum related to Iran were recorded leaving the area.
Ships passing through Hormuz in the past 24 hours with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal were all limited to the narrow northern lane - an area allowed by Iran.
