- Two tankers carrying Saudi crude for Indian refiners have exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by sailing "dark" after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis announced a blockade on Saudi shipments.
- The vessels switched off their transponders after two other ships, Malta-flagged Panamax-sized tanker Kavomaleas and Liberian-flagged VLCC Acheloos, were hit by projectiles.
- Indian refiners have switched to cargoes from the Middle East on a delivered basis since the Houthi attacks on several Saudi tankers.
- The Rodos is expected to arrive at India's Mangalore port on August 1, while the Amazon is scheduled to reach Chennai in early August.
- The Amazon and Rodos switched off their Automatic Identification System transponders around July 22, preventing public tracking of their moves.
Saudi oil tankers have navigated the Red Sea 'dark' to evade threats from Yemen's Houthi forces, which have imposed a blockade on Saudi shipments. The Amazon and Rodos tankers, carrying crude for Indian refiners, switched off their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection after attacks on other vessels.45
The Amazon, chartered by Indian Oil Corp, loaded 1 million barrels of oil, while the Rodos lifted 700,000 barrels for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. Both vessels exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait around July 22, with the Rodos expected to arrive at Mangalore on August 1 and the Amazon scheduled for Chennai in early August.
The shift to 'dark' sailing comes after the Kavomaleas and Acheloos were struck by projectiles, prompting Indian refiners to source cargoes from the Middle East on a delivered basis due to the escalating risks associated with Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers.23
“The Amazon and Rodos switched off their Automatic Identification System transponders around July 22, preventing public tracking of their movements. This decision followed attacks on other vessels, prompting Indian refiners to source oil from the Middle East on a delivered basis due to the escalating Houthi threats.”
