Very large crude carrier movements increased through the Strait of Hormuz on 25 October while activity at the Bab al‑Mandab remained unchanged for a second day, sources indicated on 27 October, citing an S&P Global Commodities at Sea briefing dated 26 October.
S&P recorded six VLCC transits through Hormuz on 25 October, the highest daily count since 17 October, the briefing showed. The rise in very large crude carrier passages marked a perceptible uptick within the short reporting window.
At Bab al‑Mandab, S&P noted one VLCC passage on 24 October and a repeat single transit on 25 October, a steady run that the briefing described as the second consecutive day at that level. The narrow strait therefore posted only limited tanker movement across those two dates.
Hormuz traffic in aggregate was steady at 17 ships on 24 October, according to the same summary. No further aggregated counts for subsequent days were provided in the material supplied for this report.
Short-term pattern in tanker flows
The six VLCC transits at Hormuz on 25 October represent a short-term increase against the earlier mid‑October rhythm flagged in the S&P briefing. That contrast, the largest single‑day VLCC total since 17 October, is the principal factual indicator in the S&P dataset supplied to reports.
While this snapshot shows an episodic rise, the limited span of dates reported means it should be read as a near‑term fluctuation rather than a confirmed directional shift in regional tanker volumes. The S&P note is the primary source for the counts, and no additional movement tallies were included in the supplied facts.
Chokepoint throughput remains mixed
The two waterways continue to show different short‑term behaviours: Hormuz with an observable climb in large crude carrier passages on 25 October and Bab al‑Mandab with unchanged VLCC activity across 24–25 October. Both straits remain critical routes for crude and product flows, and the supplied report frames the activity as a brief operational snapshot.
The reports item dated 27 October relayed the S&P Global Commodities at Sea figures published on 26 October, establishing the reporting timeline for these observations. No further commentary or causal explanation for the day‑to‑day variation was included in the facts provided.
Taken together, the supplied figures point to modest volatility rather than a persistent acceleration or decline in VLCC transits through the two chokepoints over the dates shown. Additional daily tallies or a longer series would be required to determine whether the 25 October surge at Hormuz is the start of a sustained pattern.
For now, shipping interests and analysts relying on S&P’s commodities‑at‑sea monitoring have a narrow window of confirmed movement: a six‑VLCC peak at Hormuz on 25 October and single‑VLCC days at Bab al‑Mandab on 24 and 25 October, as reported on 27 October.