Just nine oil tankers, transport ships and container ships, some of which have sometimes concealed their position, have been spotted crossing the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the week, according to MarineTraffic data analyzed by AFP. Also on Friday, Bloomberg wrote that the war in the Middle East pushed the price of a barrel of oil to 90 dollars, a level reached for the first time in almost two years.
In general, almost 20% of the world's crude oil shipments and about 20% of liquefied natural gas pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The AFP only counted ships that emitted at least one signal from both sides of the Strait of Hormuz and did not count those that may have traveled with their signals completely hidden for an extended period of time.
Since Sunday, attacks on ships sailing in the Hormuz area have increased, raising concerns about the possibility of a lasting impact on the global economy, as attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and retaliation by Tehran have thrown the global energy sector into disarray.
Most shipping carriers have suspended operations and the crossing remains dangerous, as was the case with the Safeen Prestige, which was hit by projectiles while sailing east from the Gulf on Tuesday, according to the UK Maritime Safety Organization (UKMTO).
The Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational maritime consultancy group, said commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was at a “near total halt” due to “security threats, insurance constraints, operational uncertainty and operational disruptions”.
The price of oil rose to 90 dollars
The price of a barrel of Brent oil reached 90 dollars, a first in almost two years, Bloomberg wrote on Friday, according to Agerpres.
On the ICE Futures exchange, the price of a barrel of Brent oil from the North Sea rose by 7.6%.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil exceeded the level of $85 per barrel for the first time since April 2024. This week, the prices increased by more than a fifth.
The latest indication of the crisis in the region is Kuwait's decision to cut production at some oil fields due to a lack of crude oil storage capacity, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The price of crude oil may exceed $100 per barrel, Goldman Sachs analysts warned. In Europe, diesel prices are heading for a weekly gain of more than 50%, and central banks are worried about the possible return of high inflation.
Qatar's energy minister told the Financial Times that the price of crude oil could reach $150 a barrel in two to three weeks if tankers and other commercial ships fail to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
