© Reuters. Attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea continue to increase!Maersk Tankers Notifies Fleet: Detour
Financial Associated Press, December 15 (Editor Bian Chun)Escalating tensions in the waters surrounding the Middle East are threatening global energy flows.
According to media reports on Thursday,Maersk Tankers issues notice to its fleet, allowing them to sail around the Red Sea if necessary。
Maersk Tankers’ decision comes as the Red Sea becomes increasingly unstable, with more and more oil tankers crossing the waters becoming targets of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi armed forces.
Maersk Tankers is independent from international shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk A/S. A Moller-Maersk ship was also attacked in the Red Sea on Thursday, but no casualties or property damage were reported.
Global energy flows may be disrupted
The Red Sea is an important channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea, and is also an important oil transportation channel. This maritime corridor handles more than 10% of global trade.
As Maersk allows tankers to bypass the Red Sea, other shipping lines are likely to follow suit.This could disrupt energy flows, as detours would add days to journeys and consume more fuel. This means crude oil transportation costs will rise.
It is not yet certain whether Maersk Tankers ships will avoid the Red Sea or for how long. In the past, major tanker companies have deviated from the waters for short periods of time, but such departures were often temporary due to additional fuel costs and cargo delays.
The Iran-backed Houthis have long viewed Israel as an enemy. After the outbreak of a new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Houthis armed forces repeatedly claimed to launch attacks on targets in Israel and “Israeli ships” passing through the coast of Yemen.
This week, a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker and a vessel transporting aviation fuel to the Suez Canal were attacked in the Red Sea. Last week, a U.S. merchant ship was also attacked.
Attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea have also led to higher insurance costs due to the increased risk.
Last week, energy expert Dan Yergin said,The escalating conflict over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is the real geopolitical threat facing oil markets. He pointed out that about 9 million barrels of oil pass through the waterway every day, and that the flow of oil in the waterway has increased as Russian oil flows have been diverted after Western sanctions were imposed.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is located at the southern end of the Red Sea, close to the coast of Yemen, and is the only place to enter the Red Sea.
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2023-12-15 04:10:00
