Tankers Speed Through Hormuz Chokepoint on US-Iran Tensions

Some supertanker operators, nervous about rising US-Iran tensions and potential risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, are speeding their vessels through the chokepoint.

Very Large Crude Carriers are traveling around the narrow, congested waterway — through which about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade travels — at as much as 17 knots, ship-tracking data show. About 13 knots is the usual top speed for a fully laden VLCC, which is typically about 330 meters (1,080 feet) long and cumbersome to maneuver.