# Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC)

Type: Product

Source: Supply Chain Intelligence Brief — https://getsupplybrief.com/entity/very-large-crude-carrier-vlcc
Canonical HTML page: https://getsupplybrief.com/entity/very-large-crude-carrier-vlcc

## Timeline

- **2026-10-01**: Reports confirm STS shift and $1M/day VLCC rates — Published data reveal the Gulf of Kutch's role and supertanker hire rates above $1 million a day as regional STS capacity may have reached its limit.
- **2026-09**: Houthi threats strain Saudi Red Sea route — Yemen's Houthi rebels menace Saudi Arabia's Red Sea backup export route, forcing the kingdom to ship greater volumes through Hormuz and worsening congestion.
- **2026-09**: First eastbound VLCC STS transfers in Gulf of Kutch — Bloomberg and Vortexa data show two VLCCs conduct ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Kutch, with receiving vessels headed to Singapore and South Korea.
- **2026-03**: Iran war constricts Strait of Hormuz flows — Persian Gulf exporters begin covert shuttle-and-transfer operations near Oman and the UAE after the Iran war restricts flows through the chokepoint.

## Recent coverage (1 stories)

### VLCC Rates Top $1M/Day as Oil Transfers Shift to Gulf of Kutch
2026-10-01 11:56:07 · Sentiment: Negative · Impact: 7/10 · Sources: 2

Persian Gulf producers are rerouting ship-to-ship oil transfers to India's Gulf of Kutch as Hormuz-adjacent waters reach capacity, driving VLCC hire rates above $1M/day and stressing global tanker logistics.
Full story: https://getsupplybrief.com/story/supply-tanker-congestion-oil-sts-gulf-of-kutch

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