Tanker Shipping
Energy Matrix - More Crude Does Not Mean More Fuel
Crude supply alone no longer explainss whether the market has enough fuel. Refinery configuration, product inventories and shipping costs increasingly determine which fuels are available, where they can be delivered—and at what price.
Results Deep Dive - COSCO Group 1H2026: Q2 Turns the Tide as Container Freight-Rate Momentum Improves, Ports Diversification, VLCC Profits Surge
COSCO’s first half tells two very different shipping stories: container margins are being squeezed even as congestion hits a record, while VLCC earnings surge. And with another $2.9bn of ships ordered, COSCO is still betting heavily on scale.
Maritime Insights — Hormuz Is Still Moving Oil, but at a Record Price
Hormuz crude is still moving, but at a much higher cost. Deep discounts are keeping cargoes profitable even as Iran expands tanker restrictions and VLCC earnings surge to a record $624,000 a day.
Maritime Insights - Hormuz Shipping Nears a Standstill, Offshore Ship-to-Ship Becoming the New Gulf Energy Route? Behind: China and Saudi Arabia shift more Oil to STS; LNG may follow
China is restructuring the physical logistics of its Middle East crude imports through offshore STS transfers — and the resulting inefficiency is creating exceptionally high VLCC margins.
Breaking News - Korea’s SK Shipping, H-Line Swap Tankers to Create LNG Giant
South Korean shipping companies SK Shipping Co. and H-Line Shipping Co. — both owned by private equity firm Hahn & Co. — will swap tankers and contracts to create one of the world’s largest operators of LNG carriers.
Global Chokepoint - Iran Says Hormuz Shipping Route Deal Reached With Oman (Aug 6, 2026)
Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a proposed route for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a potential step toward a reopening of the critical waterway for energy supplies.
Maritime Insights - Why Shipowners Are Ordering VLCCs at the Top of the Cycle
VLCC contracting has moved from a relatively subdued market into the strongest ordering wave of the past decade. Owners and financial investors are therefore competing for modern capacity scheduled for delivery toward the end of the decade.
Global Chokepoint - U.S., Iran pause hostilities as Hormuz shipping resumes after weekend clashes
The U.S. and Iran agreed Sunday to pause hostilities and allow commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely, following a weekend of military exchanges that threatened to derail negotiations aimed at ending their conflict. Will A More Thorough Agreement be Reached Before the Expiry of Existing 60-
Global Chokepoint - Why Restoring Normal Traffic Through Hormuz Won’t Be Easy
The fragile reopening of the Strait of Hormuz faces multifaceted challenges, from mines and attacks to unclear authority, making a swift return to prewar energy flows slow and uncertain.
Global Chokepoint - Strait of Hormuz traffic to return to normal as soon as August, Kalshi traders speculate
Prediction markets show surging odds for Strait of Hormuz traffic normalization after Trump's Iran deal announcement, despite lingering uncertainties.
