Left Investment Bank 2006. Launched BankToTheFuture 2010. Spoke at 1st Bitcoin conference & published 1st #Bitcoin# book 2011. Angel Investor 100+ #BTC# Companies
๐ธ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ท SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING IS HAPPENING IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Reuters reports Saudi Aramco loaded around 14 MILLION barrels of crude onto seven VLCCs at Gulf terminals on Sunday.
Satellite images reportedly show seven tankers around Ras Tanura.
Why is this interesting?
๐ธ๐ฆ Saudi Arabiaโs East West pipeline was attacked and shut down.
That pipeline exists specifically to allow Saudi crude to bypass Hormuz and reach the Red Sea.
So what happened next?
Saudi dramatically increased crude exports THROUGH Hormuz.
And Reuters reports Aramco has sold around 60 million barrels from Ras Tanura for September and October with cargoes intended for ship to ship transfers at Sohar.
๐ด๐ฒ Oman.
So the emerging route looks like:
๐ธ๐ฆ Ras Tanura
Strait of Hormuz
๐ด๐ฒ Sohar
๐จ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ต Asian buyers
Now it gets interesting.
๐ฎ๐ท Iran has been restricting shipping through Hormuz.
๐ฎ๐ท๐ด๐ฒ Iran and Oman have simultaneously been negotiating a temporary navigation corridor, mine clearance, information sharing, traffic management and eventually a longer term framework for the Strait.
And now millions of barrels of Saudi crude are moving through Hormuz towards Oman.
I have NOT found evidence yet that Iran gave Saudi Arabia permission or that these tankers are part of an Iran Saudi agreement.
That distinction matters.
But the question now becomes unavoidable.
If Iran controls the threat environment around Hormuz, Oman is negotiating the navigation architecture and Saudi is dramatically increasing crude movements through the Strait, exactly how are these tankers being deconflicted?
Who is guaranteeing passage?
๐ฎ๐ท Iran?
๐ด๐ฒ Oman?
๐บ๐ธ The US?
Or some combination negotiated behind the scenes?
This is what Iโm watching.
Because if evidence emerges that Iran is knowingly facilitating Saudi crude passage while Oman acts as the intermediary and transshipment node, that would be much more significant than seven tankers.
It would be another piece of the regional architecture I believe is emerging as the Forever War winds down.
Donโt follow the rhetoric.
Follow the oil.
Letโs see.