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Saudi Crude Tankers Bound for India Go Dark to Navigate Red Sea Security Risks

Two commercial oil tankers transporting Saudi Arabian crude oil to Indian refiners temporarily switched off their tracking transponders to exit the Red Sea safely. The vessels adopted this maneuver following threats of a blockade by Yemen-based Houthi rebels and recent security incidents involving commercial shipping in the region.

What Happened

Around July 20, the Suezmax tanker Amazon loaded approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil at Yanbu port in Saudi Arabia under a charter by Indian Oil Corp (IOC). Around the same time, the Aframax tanker Rodos picked up 700,000 barrels of crude bound for Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL). Both vessels are managed by the Greece-based shipping firm Dynacom Tankers.

Initially heading north toward the Suez Canal, both ships altered course around July 22. According to shipping sources, the tankers disabled their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders—a practice known as going dark—making their movements unavailable on public tracking platforms. They subsequently turned south and exited the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Disabling transponders is considered a standard security precaution for vessels operating within active conflict zones.

Key Highlights

  • The Amazon and Rodos are the first known tankers carrying Saudi crude to India to turn off AIS transponders since the Houthi blockade on Saudi oil shipments was declared.
  • The decision to go dark followed recent projectile strikes on two other Dynacom-operated vessels, the Malta-flagged Kavomaleas and the Liberian-flagged Acheloos.
  • The Rodos is scheduled to reach Mangalore port on August 1, while the Amazon is expected to arrive in Chennai in early August.

Why This Matters

Escalating security threats in the Red Sea are prompting Indian refiners to alter their crude purchasing and transport arrangements. To reduce operational risks, refiners in India are increasingly buying Middle Eastern crude on a delivered basis, placing transport logistics on suppliers. In its latest tender, MRPL explicitly specified that crude deliveries must use routes that bypass both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

What to Watch Next

The market will watch for the scheduled arrival of the Rodos in Mangalore on August 1 and the Amazon in Chennai in early August. Observers will also track how Indian refiners structure future crude tenders to avoid conflict-prone maritime choke points.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the oil tankers turn off their tracking transponders?

The ship manager turned off the AIS transponders as a safety measure while navigating through a conflict area, following projectile attacks on other commercial vessels in the region.

Which Indian refineries are receiving the oil from these tankers?

Indian Oil Corp (IOC) chartered the Amazon carrying 1 million barrels of crude, while Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) is receiving 700,000 barrels carried by the Rodos.

Source: Based on reporting from Reuters and The Times of India.