Saudi Aramco resumes crude exports from Ras Tanura after nearly four months of disruption

Saudi Aramco has resumed crude loading at its Ras Tanura terminal on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast after a disruption that lasted nearly four months. Shipping data showed two very large crude carriers loading at the port on Friday, with a third tanker waiting offshore. The restart marks a significant step in the return of oil flows through one of the world's most important export hubs.

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The terminal had been affected by the Gulf conflict that began in early March, when shipping through the Strait of Hormuz became difficult. Each of the tankers involved can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil, according to the shipping data cited in the report. Aramco's last cargo from Ras Tanura left for China on March 8, before exports were diverted to the company's Red Sea terminal at Yanbu.

Ras Tanura is Saudi Arabia's largest crude export terminal and sits on the country's eastern Gulf coast. It also houses the kingdom's largest refinery, which can process 550,000 barrels per day. Before the shipping disruption, the port was handling more than 5 million barrels of crude a day, underlining its central role in Saudi export capacity and in global oil supply.

The restart comes as producers across the Middle East begin restoring shipments after an interim deal between the United States and Iran eased tensions and reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway is a critical route for global energy trade and carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Saudi exports were hit hard during the disruption, averaging about 4 million barrels per day over the past three months, down from more than 7 million barrels per day in February.

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The return of loading at Ras Tanura is also important because it signals a broader recovery in regional shipping after weeks of uncertainty. Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also increased crude exports as conditions have improved. For Saudi Arabia, the resumption at its main Gulf terminal suggests a partial normalisation of flows after cargoes were rerouted to keep exports moving.

Even so, the security situation in the Gulf remains unsettled. A cargo vessel reported a suspected attack near Oman's coast in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, prompting the UK Maritime Trade Operations to temporarily suspend naval escort operations in the area. The report said oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel on Friday as traders focused on the return of supply, but the durability of the shipping recovery remains unclear.

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