Fleet of 10 Japan-related ships exit Hormuz, data shows

A fleet of 10 Japan-linked vessels was exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday while a supertanker carrying Saudi crude for South Korea left over the weekend, shipping data on LSEG showed, after the ships were stranded in the Gulf for months because of the Iran war.

The Japan-linked ships include six very large crude carriers loaded with 12 million barrels of Middle Eastern crude, two chemical tankers, a vehicle carrier and a container ship, the data showed. The tankers are carrying crudes from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar that were loaded in late February to early March.

Most of the vessels are managed by Japanese shipper Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) 9104.T which had said it would prioritise the safety of its seafarers, cargo and vessels when traversing the strait.

Mitsui OSK declined to comment.

Separately, South Korean refiner S-Oil said on Monday that the VLCC Long Wind carrying oil for its refinery exited the strait on Saturday. The vessel, loaded with 2 million barrels of Saudi crude in early March, is expected to arrive at Onsan, South Korea, on July 26, LSEG data showed.

-Reporting by Chang Ran-Kim and Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo, and Florence Tan in Singapore, Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kate Mayberry/Reuters