2024-03-05 08:35:51
Amid ongoing attacks by the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea, the world is faced with a shortage of oil tankers due to increased delivery times, Bloomberg reported, citing experts, Day.Az reports with reference to Prime.
According to the article, in addition to supply problems, a general decline in the efficiency of the world fleet has been recorded. According to experts, this is due to the growing role of the “shadow” fleet, to which only “certain clients” have access.
In addition, it is clarified that only two supertankers will be able to be delivered this year, and five are expected in 2025, while 42 vessels were delivered in 2022. This is the lowest number of recruitments in the last 40 years, and about 90% below the annual average of the current millennium.
However, representatives of transport companies look at this from a positive side. Thus, according to Fotios Katsulas, leading tanker shipping analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights, events in the Red Sea are changing market fundamentals, from which ship operators can benefit. Also, Banchero Costa research manager Enrico Paglia said that, according to estimates, since the start of the Houthi attacks, the employment rate of the tanker fleet has increased by 5%.
Since November 19 last year, the Ansar Allah movement began seizing ships in the Red Sea that are related to Israel. As the representative of the Houthi group emphasized, the attacks will continue until Israel stops its aggression against the Gaza Strip and the Palestinians. As a result of the Houthi attacks, some shipping companies have decided to suspend shipping through the Suez Canal, which links the Red and Mediterranean seas. Against this background, on December 19, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin announced the launch of the international Operation Guardian of Prosperity to protect the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
“Ansar Allah” (Houthis) is a paramilitary group of Shiite Zaydis (Jarudis) operating in Yemen.
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