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日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Sep 17, 2026 (Thu)

VLCC freight rates for Persian Gulf loadings surpassed WS1000

Trend in monthly peak VLCC freight rates (Persian Gulf-Far East route)

　On September 15, the benchmark spot freight rate for VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) on the Persi ・・・続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80On+September+15%2C+the+benchmark+spot+freight+rate+for+VLCCs+%28Very+Large+Crude+Carriers%29+on+the+Persian+Gulf-Far+East+route+reached+Worldscale+%28WS%29+1036%2C+surpassing+the+1%2C000+mark+for+the+first+time.+According+to+US-based+Poten+%26+Partners%2C+this+is+equivalent+to+time+charter+equivalent+earnings+of+%241.12+million.+In+addition+to+the+risk+premium+caused+by+the+de+facto+closure+of+the+Strait+of+Hormuz%2C+an+offensive+by+Yemen%E2%80%99s+armed+group+Houthis+in+the+Red+Sea+and+disruptions+to+crude+oil+supplies+caused+by+the+shutdown+of+Saudi+Arabia%E2%80%99s+East-West+Pipeline+have+combined+to+push+VLCC+freight+rates+into+unprecedentedly+high+territory.+%3Cbr%3E+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+%241.12+million+per+day+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80In+the+current+VLCC+market%2C+no+actual+fixtures+for+Persian+Gulf+loadings+have+emerged+amid+the+continuing+high-risk+situation+for+transit+through+the+Strait+of+Hormuz.+The+WS1000+mark+recorded+on+September+15+is+a+freight+rate+indicator+calculated+by+the+Baltic+Exchange+based+on+assessments+by+panelists.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CEven+if+there+were+deals%2C+they+were+negotiated+behind+the+scenes%2C+and+it+is+unclear+whether+they+were+actually+concluded+at+these+freight+rates%2C%E2%80%9C+said+a+broker.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80However%2C+some+VLCCs+are+under+market-linked+TC+%28time+charter%29+contracts+tied+to+the+Baltic+Exchange%E2%80%99s+Persian+Gulf-Far+East+%28TD3C%29+index%2C+allowing+them+to+benefit+from+the+sharp+rise+in+Persian+Gulf+loadings+even+while+operating+on+other+routes.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80However%2C+some+charterers+of+market-linked+VLCCs+appear+increasingly+perplexed+by+the+abnormal+surge+in+the+TD3C+index+and+reluctant+to+make+payments.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Norwegian+shipping+company+Hunter+Group%2C+which+has+market-linked+contracts+for+two+VLCCs%2C+disclosed+that+unpaid+charter+hire+had+reached+%2455+million+as+of+early+August.+%3Cbr%3E+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+Yanbu+supply+crisis+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Growing+concerns+over+supply+from+Red+Sea+loadings+since+last+week+have+also+fueled+the+sharp+rise+in+freight+rates.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80By+September+11%2C+the+Houthis+had+taken+control+of+islands+near+the+Bab-el-Mandeb+Strait%2C+the+southern+gateway+to+the+Red+Sea.+In+Saudi+Arabia%2C+the+East-West+Pipeline%2C+which+transports+crude+oil+from+the+Persian+Gulf+coast+to+the+Red+Sea+port+of+Yanbu%2C+was+attacked+by+drones+and+ceased+operations+on+September+10.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Since+the+de+facto+closure+of+the+Strait+of+Hormuz+this+spring%2C+Saudi+Arabia+has+used+the+East-West+Pipeline+to+shift+its+main+export+port+to+Yanbu+on+the+Red+Sea+coast.+Crude+oil+inventories+at+the+port+are+estimated+to+cover+five+to+seven+days%2C+raising+concerns+about+a+halt+in+shipments.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Shipping+routes+for+cargoes+loaded+at+Yanbu+Port+include+a+southbound+route+through+the+Bab-el-Mandeb+Strait+to+the+Indian+Ocean+and+a+northbound+route+toward+the+Suez+Canal.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+Suez+Canal+is+a+major+route+for+150%2C000-DWT+suezmax+tankers+and+100%2C000-DWT+Aframax+tankers%2C+and+even+300%2C000-DWT+VLCCs+can+transit+if+they+lighten+their+cargoes+to+reduce+their+draft.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80For+this+reason%2C+before+the+Middle+East+crisis%2C+a+transport+method+was+also+used+in+which+part+of+a+VLCC%E2%80%99s+cargo+was+transferred+overland+via+the+%E2%80%9CSUMED+Pipeline%2C%E2%80%9C+which+connects+Ain+Sokhna+port+on+Egypt%E2%80%99s+Red+Sea+coast+with+Sidi+kerir+on+its+Mediterranean+coast%2C+and+reloaded+on+the+Mediterranean+side+after+transiting+the+Suez+Canal.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Recently%2C+to+maximize+the+efficiency+of+Yanbu+crude+oil+shipments%2C+trade+has+been+increasing+in+which+Saudi-affiliated+tankers+shuttle+crude+oil+between+Yanbu+and+Ain+Sokhna%2C+while+VLCCs+from+various+countries+load+cargo+at+Sidi+kerir.+Long-haul+trade+is+also+being+conducted+for+some+cargoes+bound+for+Japan%2C+routing+from+Sidi+kerir+through+the+Mediterranean+and+around+the+Cape+of+Good+Hope.+%3Cbr%3E+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+STS+off+Oman+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Amid+growing+supply+concerns+over+Persian+Gulf-+and+Red+Sea-loaded+crude%2C+ship-to-ship+transfers+%28STS%29+off+Oman+are+becoming+a+key+pillar+of+Middle+Eastern+crude+oil+exports.+In+this+trade%2C+tankers+affiliated+with+oil-producing+countries+carry+crude+oil+from+the+Persian+Gulf+to+waters+off+Oman%2C+where+it+is+transferred+to+VLCCs+from+various+countries.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80On+September+15%2C+the+freight+rate+benchmark+for+the+Mina+Al+Fahal+port%2C+Oman-Far+East+%28TD34%29+route+rose+by+128+points+from+the+previous+day+to+WS735.+The+total+freight+rate+from+the+Gulf+of+Mexico+to+the+Far+East+also+rose+sharply+by+%245.67+million+to+%2444.8+million.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E3%80%90Shocking+military+conflict+with+Iran%E3%80%91+%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDisclaimer%3A+The+English+translations+provided+through+this+service+are+the+result+of+translations+made+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+or+automatically+and+mechanically+translated+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+using+an+automated+translation+system+provided+by+a+third+party+after+certain+processing+of+the+Japanese+content+licensed+by+the+third+party.+In+terms+of+the+English+translation%2C+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+and+MarineNet+Co.%2C+Ltd.+make+no+warranty+or+burden+of+any+kind%2C+express+or+implied%2C+including+its+accuracy%2C+reliability%2C+validity+or+fitness+for+a+particular+purpose.+MarineNet+Users+should+fully+understand+that+this+service+uses+an+automated+translation+system+that+automatically+and+mechanically+recognizes+and+analyzes+information+and+produces+results.+The+users+should+understand+the+above+conditions+before+using+this+service.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E5%85%8D%E8%B2%AC%E4%BA%8B%E9%A0%85%EF%BC%9A%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E4%BB%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%90%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%81%8B%E3%80%81%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%B1%E8%AB%BE%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%84%E3%82%92%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%AE%E5%87%A6%E7%90%86%E3%82%92%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8C%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%83%BB%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%80%81%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%BD%93%E8%A9%B2%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%80%81%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A3%E7%A2%BA%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E4%BF%A1%E9%A0%BC%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E5%A6%A5%E5%BD%93%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%8A%E3%81%B3%E7%89%B9%E5%AE%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E9%81%A9%E5%90%88%E6%80%A7%E3%82%92%E5%90%AB%E3%82%81%E3%80%81%E6%98%8E%E7%A4%BA%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E9%BB%99%E7%A4%BA%E3%81%AB%E3%82%82%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E4%BF%9D%E8%A8%BC%E3%82%82%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%80%82%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%8C%E3%80%81%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A4%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1%E3%82%92%E8%AA%8D%E8%AD%98%E3%83%BB%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%82%92%E5%87%BA%E5%8A%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92%E5%8D%81%E5%88%86%E3%81%AB%E7%90%86%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%3Cbr%3E