U.S-Iran conflict helps drive wave of supertanker orders

Sept 17 (Reuters) – Shipowners have already ordered more than twice as many supertankers this year as in all ​of 2025, a buying spree worth over $20 billion that is the biggest for at least 25 years, as the US-Iran war redraws trade routes boosts demand for long-haul crude shipments.

Data from Signal Group, a shipping analytics platform, show 217 Very Large Crude Carriers ordered so far in 2026, against 93 last year. Allied Shipbroking recorded 164 VLCC orders, up from 83. A VLCC carries about two million barrels of oil.

The spree signals growing acceptance that oil will continue to travel longer distances from the Atlantic basin as ​buyers diversify away from Middle Eastern sources, and also reflects a broader expectation among shipowners that long-haul oil trade will remain resilient, despite the transition ​away from fossil fuels. “We believe owners betting on increased long-haul shipments from the Atlantic to Asia are playing a large part in ⁠the renewed demand for VLCC ordering,” said Rebecca Galanopoulos, senior analyst at the shipping analytics firm Veson Nautical.