Tanker Congestion Shunts Vital Oil Transfers Farther From Hormuz

By Prejula Prem

Oct 1, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Persian Gulf oil producers are shifting critical cargo transfer operations even farther out of the war-hit region as waters just outside the Strait of Hormuz become congested with tankers. 

It’s another illustration of the maritime convulsions caused by the war, with delayed or diverted shipments helping to drive the cost of hiring a supertanker to above $1 million a day, adding to price pressures on crude and refined fuels.

The Gulf of Kutch, off the coast of Gujarat in western India, is emerging as an alternative waypoint for transferring Persian