Petronas-chartered tanker loaded with Iraqi crude passes through Hormuz

LONDON/KUALA LUMPUR - An oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast, a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions to transit the vital sea route, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.

The Ocean Thunder loaded about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Malaysia’s Pengerang, in mid-April, Kpler data showed.

The tanker - which the data showed was chartered by Petco, a unit of Malaysian state energy firm Petronas - is among seven Malaysia-linked vessels cleared by Iran to transit the strait, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The people declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

Malaysia’s foreign ministry and Petronas did not respond to requests for comment outside office hours.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in March Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait after holding talks with Iranian officials.

The country’s foreign minister later said there were seven ships linked to Malaysian companies - including Petronas, Vantris Energy and MISC - that were awaiting clearance to transit the waterway, the state news agency reported.

Iran effectively closed the strait, a corridor that carries about a fifth of global oil and LNG flows, in response to US and Israeli airstrikes that began in late February.

It later said it would allow passage for vessels without US or Israeli connections. In recent days three Omani-operated tankers, a French-owned container ship and a Japanese-owned gas carrier have crossed the strait.

Malaysia said on March 31 that Iran would allow its ships to pass through the strait without paying any tolls.

Iran has said it could levy fees on vessels sailing through the waterway. REUTERS