Amid Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the aftermath of the Middle East war, a tanker that broke through the blockade head-on safely arrived in Ulsan on May 12.

According to the oil refining industry, the Greek tanker Zouzou N anchored around Onsan Port in Ulsan at around 7 p.m. on May 12, carrying 1.1 million barrels of crude oil. The Zouzou N is the first tanker to pass through the strait and arrive in Ulsan since the blockade began.

An official from the oil refining industry said, “Instances of bypassing through the Red Sea or departing from outside the strait continue to occur, but I understand that directly passing through the strait is the first in Ulsan.”

Previously, the Zouzou N loaded crude oil in Qatar on April 19. Later, at the end of April, it broke through the tight blockade with a so-called ‘ghost voyage’, passing through the strait while avoiding location exposure by turning off its Automatic Identification System (AIS).

Besides the Zouzou N, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) of Sinokor Merchant Marine, a domestic shipping company, and the Odessa on April 17 have recently escaped the strait in the same manner. Among them, the Odessa arrived first at Daesan Port in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, on May 7 and delivered 1 million barrels of crude oil to Hyundai Oilbank.

Considering the safety of nighttime entry, the Zouzou N will begin full-scale unloading operations through a crude oil buoy in Onsan Port from around 8 a.m. on May 13, the day after its arrival. The unloaded 1.1 million barrels of crude oil will be supplied to S-OIL, which amounts to half of the daily domestic crude oil consumption.

Meanwhile, the entry of tankers carrying crude oil from outside the Strait of Hormuz continues. A tanker that departed from the Port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to enter Ulsan Port on May 15 and supply 2 million barrels of crude oil to SK Energy.

Source:Business Korea