Who owns gulf of hormuz

In , the most recent year for which comparable figures are available, the strait was the world's busiest sea route for oil. It carried about 19 million barrels a day - more than the 16 million barrels a day that went through the the Strait of Malacca, a major international waterway in the Indian Ocean.

The Strait of Hormuz is vital for the main oil exporters in the Gulf region, whose economies are built around oil and gas production. In , Saudi Arabia sent nearly 6. Iran also relies heavily on this route for its oil exports. And Qatar, the biggest global producer of liquefied natural gas LNG , exports nearly all its gas through the strait.

It has become particularly important in recent years for the major economies in Asia. And the US also imported nearly 1.

The UK does import some oil from the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, as well as around a third of its liquefied natural gas. The Strait of Hormuz is still the best route for transporting large volumes of oil out of the Gulf and is the only route by sea.

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With oil boom, Guyana walks a tightrope on growth and climate. Venezuela judge grants appeals to detained US oil execs. Most Read. Belarusian airline stops flying Middle East citizens from Turkey. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel, approximately 30 miles wide at the narrowest point, between the Omani Musandam Peninsula and Iran.

It connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The Strait is deep and relatively free of maritime hazards. Its depth is greatest near the Musandam Peninsula and tapers as you move north toward the Iranian shore. Generally, commercial traffic through the Strait flows through the designated Traffic Separation Scheme TSS north of the Musandam Peninsula, but the water is also deep enough for large ships to travel through an Inshore Traffic Zone south of the Omani island of Didimar.

Depths in this area reach over feet, but the Omani government restricts access to this area to smaller vessels in normal, peacetime situations. Prior to , the Inshore Traffic Zone served as the main shipping channel through the Strait.

The graphic below shows a high-level view of the different depths of the Strait. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered.

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