Preliminary shipping data published Thursday put six commodity vessels through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 11 a day earlier and well below a 10-day average of around 13, Reuters reported. [1] Brent was $96.22 a barrel at 1327 GMT, up 59 cents. WTI was $91.79, up 78 cents. Both were heading for a fourth day of gains. [1] Wright's 17 million barrels remain Monday's number. Tape is not traffic.
Wednesday's Economy file printed Energy Secretary Chris Wright's wartime-record Monday flows against Kpler's four commodity hulls Tuesday and said tape is not traffic. Axios had around 40 ships Tuesday, none hit. Print both. Do not average. The kinetic file is what the tape is still pricing. Do not merge hulls into the funeral lead.
Thursday's Reuters print and Wednesday's Kpler four do not match on Tuesday. Reuters says six Wednesday, down from 11 a day earlier. [1] The paper's Wednesday Kpler print was four Tuesday. Print both records. Do not average them into a restored strait. Do not treat Wright's Monday 17 million as Thursday traffic. The attacks were the most substantial exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since July, Reuters wrote, with the war in its seventh month. [1] Iran's health minister said 18 people were killed and 108 wounded in Tuesday night's U.S. strikes; the Red Crescent said four were killed and 67 wounded at the wedding. [1] Three Iranian Army pilots were killed, Tasnim reported. [1] Those counts belong in the World files. This file owns the hulls.
President Donald Trump told reporters U.S. forces were bringing "lots of boats out every day with millions of barrels of oil." [2] On Tuesday he had claimed some 30 ships escorted a day against about 130 before the war. [2] Control talk is a sentence. Six commodity vessels is a count. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz renewed a warning that Israel would "cripple" Iranian military and civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, if Tehran attacked it. [1] Saxo Bank's Ole Hansen said Katz's comments helped push prices higher. [1] A warning is a push. It is not a closed strait.
UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said the oil market remains tight, with inventories still declining. [1] Iran added more ships to the list of vessels it deems non-compliant. [1] Iraqi vessels are among those Iran has allowed through. Iraq's August exports rose to about 2.34 million barrels a day from about 1.35 million in July, two Iraqi energy officials said Wednesday. [1] That is companion color. It is not a second Economy commission. Higher prices increased bets on a Federal Reserve hike this month. [1] A rate bet is not a hull.
Owners still decide voyage by voyage. Monday's 17 million barrels moved before the noon wave. Wednesday's six hulls sit below a 13-ship average. [1] Tuesday remains split between Kpler's four and Reuters' 11. Axios 40 is still unreconciled. Tape is not traffic.
-- HENDRIK VAN DER BERG, Brussels