UAE Oil Shipments Slip Through Hormuz
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Reuters has reported that the United Arab Emirates and buyers have recently moved several crude oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, despite severe restrictions and security risks surrounding one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.
The shipments are limited compared with the UAE’s normal pre-war export levels, but they carry wider significance. They show how producers and buyers are trying to move oil trapped inside the Gulf, even as the route becomes more dangerous and less predictable.
According to Reuters, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. managed in April to export at least 4 million barrels of Upper Zakum crude and 2 million barrels of Das crude on four tankers from terminals inside the Gulf, based on industry sources, shipping data, and satellite analysis.
Some cargoes were later transferred from ship to ship, while others were moved into storage in Oman or headed to refineries in South Korea and Malaysia. The pattern shows how oil trading has become more complex under the pressure of the Hormuz disruption.
One of the most sensitive details is that tankers moved with their automatic identification systems switched off to reduce the risk of being detected. Reuters said this makes the total volume harder to track, meaning actual shipments could be higher than standard industry data shows.
The disruption matters far beyond the Gulf. Reuters said the effective closure of the strait to many exports, combined with restrictions affecting Iranian oil, has pushed global oil prices above $100 a barrel. Any prolonged disruption in Hormuz can affect fuel costs, shipping rates, air travel, and supply chains, including in countries such as Canada.
For the UAE, the crisis is a strategic test. Abu Dhabi does have the Habshan Fujairah pipeline, which allows some crude to be exported from Fujairah outside Hormuz, with estimated capacity of about 1.5 to 1.8 million barrels per day. But some shipments and crude grades remain tied to Gulf terminals, explaining why limited cargoes are still being moved through riskier routes.
The story shows that the Hormuz crisis is no longer only a military or diplomatic issue. It is now a daily test for the global energy market, where every tanker becomes a calculated decision between selling, waiting, and taking on risk.
