You are using an outdated browser For a better experience using this site, please upgrade to a modern web browser. Subscribe Get Daily Email Subscribe --> Contact Us Sign in Home News & Features Compliance Costs Bunker Prices Bunker Intelligence EMEA News Latest Features World Americas EMEA Asia/Pacific Home News & Features EMEA Red Sea Risks Could Double Sailing Distance for Yanbu Crude: Clarksons Research Red Sea Risks Could Double Sailing Distance for Yanbu Crude: Clarksons Research by Ship & Bunker News Team Tuesday July 28, 2026 Tweet Follow @shipandbunker Clarksons Research said only one VLCC per day crossed the Bab el-Mandeb last week. File Image / Pixabay  Renewed Red Sea security threats could more than double voyage distances for Saudi crude shipments from Yanbu , according to Clarksons Research . The warning comes as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains around 90% below pre-conflict levels, keeping pressure on global tanker markets, Steve Gordon , Global Head of Clarksons Research, said in an emailed report on Monday . Yemen's Houthi group claimed attacks on two Saudi-linked tankers last week , the first such incidents in the Red Sea this year. Clarksons Research said VLCC traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb has since fallen to just one vessel per day, down from an average of three per day during the second quarter. Meanwhile, vessel traffic through Hormuz averaged just 13 crossings per day over the past week, while crude exports through the strait fell to about 2 million bpd , down from 15 million bpd before the conflict. “ Hormuz saw just 13 daily transits last week, 90% below pre-conflict levels As crude exports shifted away from the Gulf, Yanbu shipped an average of 3.8 million bpd over the past week, around 3 million bpd above normal. However, Clarksons warned that an extended avoidance of the Bab el-Mandeb could also disrupt this alternative route. For cargoes bound for Asia, a tanker sailing from Yanbu to China would need to