Ship tracking data on Kpler showed that a cargo of WTI ‘Middleland Crude’ was headed for Greece, the first time since a little over four years. The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, and the reduced traffic through Strait of Hormuz, have disrupted trade and reduced output in the region.
Isle of Man flagged medium-sized tanker Eagle?Helsinki loaded around 700,000 barrels of WTI Midland – the ‘flagship U.S. Light Sweet Crude – at Seabrook Logistics Terminal in Houston. It was then anchored in Agio Theodoroi in Greece – close to Motor Oil?s refinery at Corinth. Ship tracking data and maritime platform Signal Ocean revealed this.
The Corinth refinery, Greece’s second-largest, accounts for more than a third (or a quarter) of the country?s refining capability.
Eagle Helsinki initially indicated its destination as Rotterdam before changing its course?mid-Atlantic and heading towards Gibraltar, then Greece.
Signal Ocean stated that the refinery relies on Iraqi crude oil from Basrah to a large extent.
?otor oil?refused to comment. Reporting by Arathy S. Somasekhar, Angeliki Koutantou and Jonthan Saul (London)
(source: Reuters)