Iranian-affiliated oil tankers in the Persian Gulf have not had any visible loading since September 17, 2026. Analyses show that previously, only seven tankers using the AIS system loaded nearly 6 million barrels of oil between July 27 and September 17, which is equivalent to about 113,000 barrels per day.
No Loading at Oil Terminals
Satellite images show that between September 18 and November 1, no dark vessels were observed at the loading terminals of Khark Island. The ships are currently waiting to load in the same nine positions in the eastern anchorage of Khark Island.
Empty Capacity in the Persian Gulf
According to Windward data, there are 47 tankers in the Persian Gulf that belong to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) or the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) and fly the Iranian flag. Of these, only 25 tankers are still transmitting AIS, and 22 tankers are in dark status. Of the 25 active AIS tankers, 15 (60%) are in an empty loading status, and 11 of them are Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), collectively having nearly 24 million barrels of empty capacity.
Iranian tankers in the Persian Gulf currently have empty capacity, but none have loaded since September 17. This situation could occur for three different reasons: transferring crude oil to onshore storage in Khark Island, clandestine loading of the ships, or reduced production and well shutdowns, which is considered the worst-case scenario.
Floating Storage Situation
Outside the Persian Gulf, Iranian-affiliated tankers that previously acted as floating storage are now mostly empty. Windward data shows that 140 tankers associated with Iran are transmitting AIS outside the Persian Gulf, of which 115 tankers are in empty status and 25 tankers have been loaded. These tankers are located in five main areas, including the coasts of Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
The loaded tankers in Asia and the Indian Ocean carry approximately 9.6 million barrels of oil, of which 5.9 million barrels, equivalent to 61%, are being transferred towards China. The continuation of this situation and silence at the terminals could lead to further production decreases.
