US Crude Heads to Israel for First Time in Nearly 3 Years

A cargo of U.S. flagship light sweet crude oil, loaded in Texas, is en route to Israel, marking the first shipment to the country in almost three years. The Malta-flagged Aframax vessel, Captain John, loaded West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude at Enbridge's Ingleside facility near Corpus Christi on Thursday.

Ship tracking data indicates the vessel is signaling Israel's southern port of Ashkelon as its destination. The tanker is carrying approximately 550,000 barrels of crude, according to LSEG data. Aframax tankers typically have a capacity of up to 750,000 barrels. The shipment was chartered by the trading house Vitol.

The last recorded U.S. crude shipment to Israel was in October 2023. This current delivery arrives at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28. This conflict has significantly disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that previously handled about one-fifth of global crude oil and natural gas supplies.