运价指数50日内飙升50%！油轮短缺加剧，六艘新造巨轮加入“空驶抢油”行列

Core Insights - The shortage of oil tankers is becoming increasingly severe, leading to new ships sailing empty to load crude oil instead of transporting refined products as traditionally done [1] - This year, six supertankers have made empty voyages from East Asia to the Middle East, Africa, or the Americas to load crude oil, a significant increase compared to only one such voyage last year [1] Group 1: Industry Dynamics - The traditional logic of transporting refined products first is being disrupted due to the severe tanker shortage [1] - OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers have increased production, while Western sanctions on Russia and risks in the Red Sea have disrupted traditional shipping routes, extending travel times and increasing the need for more vessels [1] - Smaller product tankers are being absorbed into the crude oil transportation trade, leading to higher transportation costs as some traders are forced to split cargoes due to a lack of large vessels [1] Group 2: Financial Implications - The Baltic Dirty Tanker Index, which tracks freight rates for crude oil on 12 major routes, has surged by 50% since the end of July [1] - Analysts indicate that with VLCCs earning $100,000 per day and Suezmaxes earning $80,000 per day for transporting crude oil, there is a rush to lock in these rates before they disappear [2] - The "Aliakmon I" was the first supertanker observed making an empty maiden voyage this year, leaving a shipyard in Northeast China and later loading nearly 2 million barrels of oil in Kuwait [2]