Russian tankers began to avoid the Suez Canal due to Houthi attacks – Kommersant

Three Qatari and two Russian gas tankers deviated from their original route and did not enter the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Drew attention to the data in the vessel tracking system Bloomberg. As the agency notes, the change in course may be due to attacks by the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) on ships related to Israel.

Three tankers carrying Qatari LNG were grounded off the coast of Oman over the weekend following US airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Tankers are now heading to the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa or to Southeast Asia. Tankers had to pass through the Red Sea to transport gas to Europe. Two Russian tankers carrying gas destined for Asia, one of which belongs to the Russian Yamal export project, left the northern entrance of the Suez Canal in the Mediterranean Sea late yesterday, January 15.

US authorities are urging shipowners to stay away from the Red Sea when shipping due to Houthi attacks that have been ongoing for several months. Yesterday, January 15, a US-owned commercial vessel was attacked Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile.

Qatar and Russia were the last major LNG suppliers to continue to use the Suez Canal for transit to Europe despite the Houthi attacks. LNG carriers have seen the largest reduction in transit through the Red Sea, with the number of vessels down 96% compared to a month earlier.

On January 13, British maritime security company Ambrey reportedthat the Houthis attacked a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian oil in the Gulf of Aden. According to the company, they did this by mistake: based on outdated data, they believed that the ship was associated with the UK.

Increased transportation times and freight costs should not lead to gas shortages in Europe, the reason being high inventory levels and low industrial demand. Shipping LNG from Qatar to the UK via South Africa takes around 27 days, compared with 18 days for the Suez Canal route, according to data analytics firm ICIS.

How military operations in the Red Sea complicated the path of Qatari LNG to Europe, read the material “With persistent interruptions”.

Anastasia Larina