Hormuz oil throughput at quarter of prewar daily average
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority told United Press International on Thursday that the GFS Giselle, a second Singapore-registered ship, arrived at a safe harbor after suffering hull damage from what the authority described as an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported.
The Giselle’s reported damage comes as U.S. fuel prices climb. The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline stood at $4.33 in the United States on Thursday, up from $3.06 a year earlier, UPI said. President Donald Trump has said he hopes to see fuel prices fall ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, and the United States has encouraged more traffic through the strait, the wire service reported.
On Monday, 4.147 million barrels of oil were transported through the Strait of Hormuz, less than a quarter of the daily average before the start of the war, UPI said, citing shipping data.
UPI also reported on Thursday that two cargo ships were struck and sank in the strait within 24 hours earlier in the week. The GFS Pride, registered to Singapore, caught fire after being struck on Tuesday; all crew members were successfully evacuated. The Cape Dao, registered to Antigua and Barbuda, sank after being hit by an Iranian military implement on Sept. 23, killing one crew member.
UPI framed the week’s strikes as “escalating Iran’s demonstration of control over the key oil trade route.” The war in Iran, launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28, has created a global fuel shortage, driving prices to record levels in the months following, the wire service reported.