Petronas-chartered tanker passes through Hormuz strait

 The Ocean Thunder loaded with about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pengerang, Johor, this month.

The Ocean Thunder is among seven vessels linked to Malaysian companies that were reported to be awaiting clearance to transit the strait. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 An oil tanker chartered by a Petronas firm, laden with Iraqi crude, has passed through the strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast bound for Pengerang, Johor.

The transit took place a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions on passage through the vital sea route, Reuters reported from London, quoting data from LSEG and Kpler.

The Ocean Thunder loaded about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in 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.

Malaysia’s foreign ministry and Petronas did not respond to requests for comment outside office hours, Reuters said. Last month Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Iran would allow Malaysian vessels to pass through the strait without any toll payment.

Seven ships linked to Malaysian companies, including Petronas, Vantris Energy and MISC were awaiting clearance to transit the waterway

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. - FMT