From one tanker to another... How does oil continue its journey through Hormuz?

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By crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the mission of some huge tankers ends, but the oil journey continues. This is the case for a number of tankers that hand over their cargo to larger ships waiting in the Gulf of Oman, to continue sailing to import ports, as part of arrangements that help maintain supplies despite navigational disturbances.

At the meeting point, one of the two carriers becomes a loading station for the other; Where hoses extend between them, the shipment moves directly from one tank to another, without passing through land warehouses. Then, after pumping is complete and the connections are disconnected, the receiving tanker sails the oil to its final destination.

With this mechanism, the burden of the journey is distributed between ships that cross the strait and others that continue the route to the markets. These are arrangements that provide flexibility to shipping companies, but require additional time and special equipment, as well as sea conditions that allow the cargo to be transported safely, according to what the Associated Press reported.

Despite its emergence with the Hormuz disturbances, transfers between ships are governed by a well-known practice in the shipping sector, which is represented by procedures that begin before the two tankers come into contact, and include preparing a work plan, examining equipment, and determining the responsibilities of the crews.

When the two ships approach, mooring ropes are used to stabilize them, and large fenders are placed between their hulls to protect them from friction.

Then the charging hoses are connected, and the oil pumping begins at a low rate to verify the integrity of the connections and that the load reaches the designated tanks.

From that moment until the end of the transfer, the crews follow the flow of oil, the movement of the two ships, and the state of the sea. It is not enough to prepare the hoses and start pumping; Rather, the stability of the process must be maintained, while being prepared to suspend it if conditions change or a problem arises that threatens its safety.

In the Gulf of Oman, these steps come after passing the first part of the journey. According to the Associated Press, tankers loaded with oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz, before handing over their shipments to larger ships waiting outside, to deliver them to the markets.

This means that transporting cargo at sea does not provide an alternative route to the strait for oil coming from ports inside the Gulf. The shipment passes through Hormuz first, and then the ship carrying it is changed. The benefit of the arrangement lies in separating the transit mission from the subsequent transportation trip, giving companies greater scope to organize the work of their fleets.

However, delivering the shipment between two carriers adds a whole stage to the journey, which has its own requirements and expenses. The two ships should arrive at similar times, the necessary equipment and services should be available, and then sufficient time should be allocated to transport the cargo. Therefore, the Associated Press indicated that these operations helped maintain oil flows, in exchange for increased time and cost.

With some shipments relying on this arrangement, security concerns extend to the ships participating in it. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which specializes in military affairs, indicated that Iran appears to be targeting commercial ships carrying out oil transfer operations between tankers inside and near the strait, in an attempt to obstruct the flow of energy.

Meanwhile, the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority announced that at least three ships were hit by unknown projectiles in the strait on Sunday, without an immediate claim of responsibility for the incidents. These facts remain separate from the Institute's assessment of the pattern of targeting, and are not sufficient alone to prove who is responsible for each attack.

The risks surrounding ships may lead to postponing the delivery of a shipment or changing the location and arrangements for its transportation, making the journey longer and more burdensome.

But to go from disrupting some operations to disrupting supplies on a large scale requires evidence that goes beyond threats, showing the extent of the delay and the quantities affected.

Ultimately, the impact of these disruptions is measured at import ports. The success of every delivery at sea allows the shipment to continue on its way, even if the carrier changes and the journey takes longer and its cost increases.