2026-03-30 09:19
publication
2026-03-30 09:19
The first shipment of Middle Eastern crude oil has arrived in Japan since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, the Asahi Shimbun reported on Monday. The raw material was transported bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Tanker carrying 640,000 barrels of Saudi oil arrived on Saturday at a refinery in the city of Imabari in Ehime Prefecture in the northwestern part of Shikoku island. According to local media, the unit set off on March 1 from the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea.
– The oil production environment is currently extremely uncertain. We are actively striving to secure new sources by building a flexible and multi-layer supply system, said the president of the Japanese concern Taiyo Oil, Akihiro Yamamoto.
The company said that transport via an alternative route was planned before the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Processed Saudi oil will be delivered in the form of gasoline and diesel oil, mainly to Western Japan. Another shipment of 540,000 barrels will reach the island of Shikoku in April.
The Strait of Hormuz currently remains effectively blocked by Iran. This situation results directly from the military operation of the United States and Israel against this country, which raises concerns about the stability of global supply chains of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In response to the crisis, authorities in Tokyo began releasing private and state oil reserves in mid-March and resumed the government's fuel subsidy program to achieve a fuel price target of around 170 yen ($1.07) per liter.
Last week, Japan's industry ministry relaxed regulations for a year to allow greater use of coal-fired power plants from April. In 2024, LNG-powered power plants accounted for 32%. electricity production in the country, and coal – for 29%.
Krzysztof Pawliszak (PAP)
krp/ap/
