The crude oil tanker Odessa, carrying UAE crude after passing through the Strait of Hormuz with its Automatic Identification System transponder turned off, navigates the waters at Daesan port, where it is expected to discharge crude oil, in Seosan, South Korea, May 8, 2026. REUTERS\/Kim Soo-hyeon<\/p>\n
South Korean, Chinese Supertankers Attempt Strait of Hormuz Exit<\/p>\n
May 20, 2026 (Bloomberg) \u2013A South Korean-flagged supertanker appears to be attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which, if successful, would be the first crossing of such a vessel from the East Asian nation.<\/p>\n
, laden with Kuwaiti crude, began signaling Wednesday morning that it was in the waterway, just south of Iran\u2019s Larak Island that sits along a Tehran-approved route for Hormuz transits, ship-tracking data show.<\/p>\n
The very large crude carrier is owned by Seoul-based HMM Co. and is signaling Ulsan in South Korea as its destination. A bulk carrier owned by the company was<\/p>\n
in the strait earlier this month. HMM didn\u2019t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n
follows two Chinese supertankers traveling along a similar route that were also attempting crossings of Hormuz on Wednesday, though it remains to be seen whether they have successfully exited the strait.<\/p>\n
, which is carrying crude from Qatar and Iraq and signaling the Chinese port of Quanzhou as its destination, stopped broadcasting its location early on Wednesday. The<\/p>\n
, carrying Iraqi oil and signaling Shuidong in southern China as its destination, has been idling in the same spot for several hours.<\/p>\n
If the three supertankers succeed in exiting Hormuz safely in the next few hours, they would add to the rise in crude flows seen in recent days through the corridor and mark one of the biggest days of supertanker traffic since the Middle East war began at the end of February.<\/p>\n
is owned by Able Best Development Ltd., which shares the same Shanghai address and contact details as the ship\u2019s manager, Sinochem Shipping Co. Hainan, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned energy conglomerate Sinochem Corporation.<\/p>\n
is owned and managed by Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation, a unit of Beijing-backed Cosco Shipping.<\/p>\n
Sinochem Shipping Co. Hainan and Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation didn\u2019t immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n