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Saudi suspends oil shipments through Bab El-Mandeb Strait after VLCC attacksSaudi suspends oil shipments through Bab El-Mandeb Strait after VLCC attacks

Saudi Arabia has halted all oil shipments through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait after two VLCCs operated by the country's national shipping company Bahri were attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Marcus Hand, Editor

July 26, 2018

1 Min Read
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Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, H.E. Khalid Al-Falih, that two VLCCs operated by Bahri transporting crude oil for Saudi Aramco were attacked by the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Wednesday morning. Saudi Aramco said that one of the vessels sustained minor damage.

A statement from Bahri said: “Bahri announces that one of its VLCCs had an incident on Wednesday 25/07/2018 while sailing ‎in the Red Sea. The VLCC suffered minor damage and no human injuries or ‎environmental damage have been reported.”

In reaction to the incident though Saudi Aramco is suspending all oil shipments through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait with connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

“In the interest of the safety of ships and their crews and to avoid the risk of oil spill, Saudi Aramco has temporarily halted all oil shipments through Bab El-Mandeb with immediate effect. The Company is carefully assessing the situation and will take further action as prudence demands,” Saudi Aramco said.

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VLCCSaudi Aramco

About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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