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Re: Israel-Hamas war rocket attacks are leading oil tankers to make unusual moves near ports

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Followups directed to: alt.business, alt.politics.democrats, soc.culture.israel

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In article <ui8vv3$4og2$2@dont-email.me>

Oil tankers in the Red Sea are taking unusual actions amid the 
Israel-Hamas war, shutting off their global tracking transponders — 
called Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) — in an effort to 
traverse the waters undetected.

“There’s been a big drop-off in tanker AIS signaling Israel as their 
destination,” said Homayoun Falakshahi, senior oil analyst at global 
trade intelligence firm Kpler. “In fact, we don’t see any crude-
carrying tankers doing so at the moment.”

The moves to evade detection come as shipping lines are also being 
advised to wait further offshore with rocket attacks reported at the 
ports of Ashdod and Eilat in Israel.

“Vessels calling Israel are advised to apply ballistic protection 
measures,” global maritime risk management firm Ambrey wrote in a 
note to clients on Saturday after a series of rocket sirens at the 
Port of Ashdod. “In the event of a siren, crew members are advised 
to take shelter.”

Ballistic protection can include a section of the vessel that has 
armor or protective gear.

Falakshahi tells CNBC vessels are not only shutting off their 
tracking systems while traveling but also in port as they unload 
their crude or cargo.

He said data shows that the tanker Valfoglia discharged at the Port 
of Haifa on October 24 while having its AIS signal off. “This is 
unusual behavior and delays the information of a discharge,” 
Falakshahi said.

Israeli authorities have advised the global shipping community that 
they would be compensated for any war-related damages that occur 
within the country’s economic waters. War risk surcharges for cargo 
headed to Israel are now being added by some ocean carriers. So far, 
no reports of attacks on oil tankers have been reported.

Israel has closed the Port of Ashkelon, the country’s biggest oil-
importing port, because of rocket attacks.  As a result of the war, 
activity at the Port of Ashdod has dropped dramatically, but the 
Port of Haifa which is located further north remains stable.

The Port of Ashdod is a major hub for potash and bromine exports 
from Israel. Potash is a key component in fertilizer. Bromine is a 
raw material used in textiles, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, food 
and beverage making, energy generation, construction, and 
electronics. ICL Group, a major Israel-based manufacturing company 
that produces fertilizers, chemicals and metals for the agriculture, 
food and material sectors, provides around a third of global bromine 
supply.

According to Everstream Analytics, a global supply chain mapping and 
risk analytics company which contributes to the CNBC Supply Chain 
Heat Map, the Port of Ashdod has become a transport linchpin for ICL 
Group
 in recent years. ICL has indicated the export of some chemical 
goods will likely be delayed even if local manufacturers keep 
operations running in the coming weeks.

“Rockets are regularly fired at the Port of Ashdod in southern 
Israel, the country’s second biggest port,” said Mirko Woitzik, 
global director at Everstream. Operations at Ashdod have also slowed 
down due to staffing shortages, with 10% of workers recruited into 
the Army, he added.

The number of waiting vessels on a daily basis has dropped at Port 
of Ashdod to below five since the outbreak of war compared to more 
than 15 on average before the war, according to Everstream.

“This suggests that container lines are avoiding the Port of Ashdod, 
and potentially relying more on the Port of Haifa instead,” Woitzik 
said.

Evergreen was the first ocean carrier to divert a vessel bound for 
the Port of Ashdod citing a “persisting unsafe situation” and 
declared force majeure. This is a significant declaration because if 
more vessels declare force majeure, it could impact Israel’s food 
supply. The ports of Ashdod and Haifa are the key ports for food 
imports. The country imports almost three times as much food and 
agriculture than exports. Key imports included live animals for 
meat, sugar, vegetable oils, grain, and feed.

At the Port of Haifa, the number of vessels is expected to rise as 
more ships are likely to divert to Haifa.

Recent rocket fire has tankers docking and discharging cargo at 
alternative ports. Last week, the Seaviolet called the Port of Eilat 
instead of its original destination, Ashkelon. Kpler tells CNBC its 
analysis suggests Israelis have reversed the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline 
flow so that oil can get to Ashkelon, and then to the Ashdod and 
Haifa refineries, which are linked to Ashkelon via pipelines.

Falakshahi explained that due to Eilat’s location on the Red Sea, 
ships can circumvent the conflict-ridden region close to Gaza, 
passing through the Suez Canal and entering the Gulf of Aqaba.

“If this route is continued going forward, Israel could build its 
crude stocks again and feed its domestic refineries again, therefore 
preventing a potential energy crisis in the country, which has 
inventories filled up to levels covering up to about 50 days of 
domestic demand right now.”

Israel usually imports around 10-13 cargos of crude oil a month.

Last week, a long-range rocket was fired into Eilat and pierced the 
Iron Dome, according to an Ambrey note sent to clients, and it said 
the attack “indicates a change in Hamas’ operational activity, not 
only targeting closer ports and cities en masse but also 
specifically launching rockets at far away targets as the war nears 
the end of its third week.”

Oil prices have pulled back in recent trading as some analysts say a 
spike throughout the month already has priced in the risks, even as 
the beginning of a ground offensive by Israel in Gaza leads to more 
concerns about a disruption in global oil supplies.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/30/israel-hamas-war-and-rocket-
attacks-lead-oil-tankers-to-unusual-moves.html

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Re: Israel-Hamas war rocket attacks are leading oil tankers to make unusual moves near ports Biden America <remailer@domain.invalid> - 2023-11-05 23:27 -0500

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