Tankers are making their way across the ocean highway to fill up on U.S. crude.
Vessel tracking data from the maritime artificial intelligence company Windward shows there are 172 Crude oil tankers heading to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Here’s the breakdown:
→ 46% increase in tankers arriving through the Northern Corridor (Bahamas waters — originating from Europe).
→ 132% increase in crude tankers arriving through the Southern Corridor (French Guiana EEZ — originating from Asia/the Gulf).
Windward did not specify if tankers were empty or loaded.
These vessels are the “massive” number of tankers President Donald Trump was referring to on his Truth Social post.
This tanker armada will only keep growing.
On Sunday, Trump announced in a post that the U.S. Navy will block the Strait. This is what we saw with Venezuela.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
The reason for this blockade is that Iran has controlled the Strait, charging fees to cross and selecting which vessels can traverse it. Based on vessel-tracking data, the lead user of the Strait has been Iran.
The toll system they have put in place has severely restricted transit. China and India have been big buyers of Iranian oil. This blockade means they will need to find other sources.
This tanker flotilla comes on the heels of the U.S. hitting record exports of clean petroleum products (gasoline, naphtha, diesel, and jet fuel) in March.
U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows the impact of the first full month of the war between the U.S/ Israel, and Iran. U.S. fuel exports to Europe rose nearly 27% month-over-month to 414,000 bpd. Exports to Asia more than doubled to 224,000 bpd.
“Gulf Coast crude oil exports are headed to markets around the world,” explained Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. “Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand have consistently purchased crude oil from the Gulf Coast. Lesser amounts have been headed to Japan.”
“According to the EIA, the Netherlands imported well over 1 million barrels per day of crude oil from the Gulf Coast since November,” Lipow continued. “Refineries in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have also been consistent buyers of USA crude oil.”
This is the most recent data on Weekly Petroleum Stocks in the EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report.
This massive number of tankers will build on this increase.
“I expect the USA will export record amounts of crude oil and refined products in April as the world turns to the USA to fill some of the shortfall resulting from the Strait of Hormuz closure,” said Lipow.
The race to load up on black gold makes it a great time to be a tanker owner/operator. The longer voyage to fill up spells big profits. These vessels charge day rates, and the additional time on the water to reach a new port to load crude means more money.
Depending on the vessels’ location and the destination port, the nautical miles vary. Transatlantic routes (UK to NY) are roughly 3,000–3,500 NM; Middle East (e.g., Persian Gulf) to the US is roughly 8,500–10,000+ NM; and major Asia-to-Gulf oil routes are approximately 6,600 NM.
“The market is still bullish to the max, especially looking at Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC), Suezmax tankers (medium-sized crude oil tankers), and “Average Freight Rate Assessment” (AFRA) tankers (medium-sized crude oil carriers), said Jelle Vreeman, independent shipbroker.
“Past disruptions pushed VLCC earnings above 250k to 300k per day, and especially the surge in long-haul flows suggests similar upside, with rates jumping 20% to 100% or more,” said Vreeman. “I am not surprised we are heading in this direction again. It’s hard for anyone to pinpoint fixed rates for now. Prices are driven by scarce supply and uncertainty. I have rarely seen a volatile market like this in my shipping past.”
During March 2026, benchmark tanker day rates for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) skyrocketed to record highs. Some exceeded $420,000 per day, with an eye-popping range.
LNG vessels have also seen such increases, given the extensive damage to Qatar Energy’s LNG operators, which will take 3-5 years to rebuild.
“For some freight costs become irrelevant,” said Vreeman. “They just want to secure cargoes and capacity.”
The major U.S. oil export ports are heavily concentrated along the Gulf Coast.
These ports are seeing high activity as U.S. exports approached 5 million barrels a day amid international supply disruptions in 2026:
Port of Corpus Christi (TX): The largest U.S. energy export gateway, handling massive crude volumes from the Permian and Eagle Ford basins.
Enbridge Ingleside Energy Center (EIEC) (TX): the largest crude oil export terminal by volume in North America, handling around 25% of all U.S. Gulf Coast crude exports.
Port Houston and Galveston, TX: accounts for over half of the 70 percent of total U.S. crude export volumes (they are closing the gap on Corpus Christi based on March data)
Port Arthur, TX, is the home of the nation’s largest refinery, Motiva, making it a prime export center.
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP): The primary deepwater port for loading VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers).
Port of New Orleans, LA: Functions as a major gateway for handling crude oil and refined petroleum products.
“Since sanctions have been eased on Venezuela, Gulf Coast refineries are buying and importing more of that country’s crude oil,” said Lipow.
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