DUBAI: Two tankers carrying Iranian condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, have been floating off the UAE for about a month as demand for the oil fell ahead of US sanctions.
The tankers, carrying about 2.4 million barrels of South Pars condensate combined, were stranded after South Korea halted imports from Iran and China’s demand fell during summer, according to industry sources and shipping data.
The build-up in Iranian oil supplies underscores the pressure that Iran is facing as Washington aims to bring Iranian oil exports down to zero to force Tehran to re-negotiate a nuclear deal.
The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Felicity loaded condensate at Iran’s Assaluyeh port in early August and then set sail for Jebel Ali in the UAE, shipping and trade flows data on Thomson Reuters Eikon showed.
It arrived at the ship-to-ship transfer area off Dubai on Aug. 7 and has been anchored there since. Similarly, the Suezmax tanker Salina also loaded oil at Assaluyeh and has been circling in the same area off Dubai since Aug. 17, according to the data.
Oil processors in South Korea, Iran’s top customer for South Pars condensate, halted Iranian oil liftings in July as banks, insurance and shipping companies wound down business related to Iran before US sanctions on the country’s petroleum sector kick in on Nov. 4. China typically cuts South Pars condensate imports in the summer because of its foul smell, the sources said.
The condensate contains high levels of a sulfurous compound known as mercaptans that require additional processing by refiners to remove. “Taking a cargo to China now when China may not want it means it may lose a cargo to India,” a US-based trader said. “So the cargoes will stay in place until they need to leave on agreed delivery period.”
Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), another buyer of Iranian condensate, has been asked by the UAE government replace Iranian supply with imports from other countries, one of the sources said.
The National Iranian Oil Co. and ENOC did not respond to requests for comment. The number of ships loaded with Iranian oil and anchored off the loading port of Kharg Island and the Souroush oil field has also risen.
Three supertankers capable of carrying 2 million barrels, the Happiness I, MT Hedy and Humanity, have floated for 10 days or more while another four have been there for less than a week. Iran’s August crude and condensate exports fell to 67.7 million barrels, the lowest since April 2017, according to data from Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecast.
Iranian tankers stranded by threat of US sanctions
Iranian tankers stranded by threat of US sanctions
- Two Iranian oil tankers floating off the UAE for a month as US sanctions take effect
- The build-up in Iranian oil supplies underscores the pressure that Iran is facing as Washington aims to bring Iranian oil exports down to zero
Education spending surges 251% as students return from autumn break: SAMA
RIYADH: Education spending in Saudi Arabia surged 251.3 percent in the week ending Dec. 6, reflecting the sharp uptick in purchases as students returned from the autumn break.
According to the latest data from the Saudi Central Bank, expenditure in the sector reached SR218.73 million ($58.2 million), with the number of transactions increasing by 61 percent to 233,000.
Despite this surge, overall point-of-sale spending fell 4.3 percent to SR14.45 billion, while the number of transactions dipped 1.7 percent to 236.18 million week on week.
The week saw mixed changes between the sectors. Spending on freight transport, postal and courier services saw the second-biggest uptick at 33.3 percent to SR60.93 million, followed by medical services, which saw an 8.1 percent increase to SR505.35 million.
Expenditure on apparel and clothing saw a decrease of 16.3 percent, followed by a 2 percent reduction in spending on telecommunication.
Jewelry outlays witnessed an 8.1 percent decline to reach SR325.90 million. Data revealed decreases across many other sectors, led by hotels, which saw the largest dip at 24.5 percent to reach SR335.98 million.
Spending on car rentals in the Kingdom fell by 12.6 percent, while airlines saw a 3.7 percent increase to SR46.28 million.
Expenditure on food and beverages saw a 1.7 percent increase to SR2.35 billion, claiming the largest share of the POS. Restaurants and cafes retained the second position despite a 12.6 percent dip to SR1.66 billion.
Saudi Arabia’s key urban centers mirrored the national decline. Riyadh, which accounted for the largest share of total POS spending, saw a 3.9 percent dip to SR4.89 billion, down from SR5.08 billion the previous week.
The number of transactions in the capital settled at 74.16 million, down 1.4 percent week on week.
In Jeddah, transaction values decreased by 5.9 percent to SR1.91 billion, while Dammam reported a 0.8 percent surge to SR713.71 million.
POS data, tracked weekly by SAMA, provides an indicator of consumer spending trends and the ongoing growth of digital payments in Saudi Arabia.
The data also highlights the expanding reach of POS infrastructure, extending beyond major retail hubs to smaller cities and service sectors, supporting broader digital inclusion initiatives.
The growth of digital payment technologies aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives, promoting electronic transactions and contributing to the nation’s broader digital economy.
