Departed from the US: Two giant oil tankers are heading to Turkey

Serious disruptions in the global energy supply chain and the closure of critical maritime routes, especially following the war in Iran, have caused fluctuations in oil prices worldwide. In light of these developments, the United States administration decided to release millions of barrels of crude oil into the market by tapping into its strategic petroleum reserves, and the first steps for shipments have been taken.

Ships loaded with millions of barrels of crude oil, loaded from the US Bryan Mound strategic reserve facility, are crossing the Mediterranean and heading toward Turkey. This move has been recorded as the first major transfer from the US emergency reserves to the Mediterranean.

The Greek-flagged Aframax-type tanker named "North Star" took on approximately 680 thousand barrels of sweet crude oil from Bryan Mound in Texas last month. According to data obtained from the Kpler platform, this vessel is expected to arrive at an oil refinery in the Aliağa district of İzmir in mid-May.

Another significant shipment is being carried out by the Hong Kong-flagged tanker named "DHT Antelope." This vessel also transferred approximately 1.1 million barrels of sour crude oil from the Bryan Mound facility via ship-to-ship transfer off the coast of Galveston at the end of April. According to commercial sources, the "DHT Antelope" tanker is also planned to reach Turkey and discharge its cargo at the end of May.

This move extends not only to Turkey but also to other European countries. Tracking data has confirmed that oil released from US strategic reserves in recent weeks has also been sent to countries such as Italy and the Netherlands. These shipments to Turkey mark a critical period, especially in terms of energy supply security.

The US is the world's largest oil producer. With recent developments, US oil exports have reached historic levels due to the impact of supply constraints in the European and Asian markets on prices. This step taken by the Washington administration, by releasing a total of 172 million barrels of oil into the market, is also part of the extraordinary reserve release operation of 400 million barrels conducted by the International Energy Agency.

These steps taken to prevent global energy imbalances signal the beginning of a new process not only for price stability but also for supply security.

News Source: 12punto