Tanker disruption is unwinding in the US Gulf after the key port of Corpus Christi reopened following restrictions imposed as storm Beryl approached.
Vessel activity had been reduced on Saturday as the former hurricane advanced, but Beryl ultimately turned north and missed the southern Texas port.
Polembros Shipping’s 150,000-dwt suezmax Humble Warrior (built 2020) was the first tanker to re-enter the port.
AIS data showed it arrived on Monday at the Enbridge Ingleside terminal, having left Houston at the end of June.
On Tuesday, the 112,000-dwt aframax Ionic Ariadne (built 2022), owned by Greece’s Ionic, reached EPIC Crude Holdings’ dock, followed by the 158,000-dwt AET suezmax Eagle San Antonio (built 2012) at the Eagle Ford Terminal.
Following that, VLCCs arrived, including China VLCC’s 319,000-dwt New Merit (built 2017) at South Texas Gateway, Sincere Navigation’s 297,000-dwt Kondor (built 2012) at Enbridge Ingleside, and Maran Tankers’ 318,000-dwt Richmond Voyager (built 2018), also at Enbridge Ingleside.
Later in the day, the AET sister ship Eagle San Juan docked at Pin Oak Corpus Christi and the 113,000-dwt aframax Pacific Emerald (built 2021) at South Texas Gateway.
The latter vessel is owned by CCB Financial Leasing.
The Port of Houston said it would remain closed on Tuesday after conducting a preliminary assessment of facilities and systems.
Eco VLCC spot rates were up 1% at $33,600 per day on average on Tuesday, compared to the day before, according to Clarksons Securities.
Modern suezmaxes were stable at $41,200, with aframaxes also little changed at $40,300.
Shipments curtailed
Crude exports were slashed from US Gulf Coast ports after the storm hit Texas on Sunday.
After 6.4m barrels were shipped from Corpus Christi and Houston combined on Friday, 3.5m barrels were exported over the following two days, and nothing on Monday, Kpler said.
Shipbroker BRS had been tipping volatility in aframax and MR rates out of the US Gulf.
And this could be just the start of seasonal disruption.
The US National Hurricane Center has forecast a strong hurricane season, which could further interrupt tanker loadings.
