14:18 - 13.10.2026

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October 13, Fineko/abc.az. Japan-linked crude tankers have resumed direct loadings from the Middle East for the first time since conflict escalated in February. Risk-averse Japanese refiners and shipowners had avoided the Persian Gulf for over seven months, opting instead for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers off India and Southeast Asia to safeguard crews and vessels.

Ship-tracking data indicates that the Idemitsu Maru, a supertanker owned by Idemitsu Kosan, recently reached Japan carrying a full cargo of Omani crude loaded directly at Mina Al Fahal. Additionally, Japanese firms are expanding STS operations near Middle Eastern waters, lifting roughly 3.7 million barrels by early October, approaching the entire September total of 4 million barrels.