Japanese crude tanker emerges outside Hormuz in rare transit

A Japanese supertanker has emerged in the Gulf of Oman after last signaling that it was inside the Persian Gulf, indicating a rare, undercover transit through the Strait of Hormuz by a vessel from the Asian country.

The Eneos Endeavor, a very large crude carrier, began transmitting its location north of the Omani capital Muscat late Wednesday, sailing east toward the Arabian Sea, ship-tracking data show. That came after the tanker’s last signal showed that it was in the Persian Gulf, north of Abu Dhabi, on Monday. The gap in its transmissions suggests the ship sailed through Hormuz without broadcasting its movements.

The Eneos Endeavor signaled that it was in the Gulf of Oman late Wednesday, sailing east toward the Arabian Sea. Gaps in its transmissions suggest that it crossed the Strait of Hormuz without broadcasting its movements.

Eneos Endeavor had sailed into the Persian Gulf in late February to pick up crude from the United Arab Emirate’s Das Island and Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi. Draft readings indicate that the vessel is nearly full with cargo. It originally indicated Japan’s Kiire as a destination in late April, but now is showing that it’s waiting for orders, a sign that it has no clear port of call.

The tanker is listed as part of Japanese refiner Eneos Holdings fleet, the company’s website shows. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment, saying it doesn’t disclose the operational status of vessels for safety reasons.

Eneos Endeavor’s journey would make it only the second Japanese-owned supertanker to have crossed the chokepoint since the Middle East war started in late February. In late April, the Idemitsu Maru was the first Japanese VLCC to make the crossing, though it did so broadcasting its voyage. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that a ship had made the passage, and added that Tokyo was urging Tehran to ensure free and safe transit for all vessels through the waterway.

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