RismadarVoice Business
September 17, 2026
Global orders for supertankers have surged in 2026, with shipowners committing more than $20 billion to new vessels as the US-Iran conflict disrupts traditional Middle East oil routes and increases demand for longer crude shipments from the Atlantic basin to Asia.
Two major shipping-industry data providers show the same sharp upward trend but report different totals because they maintain separate datasets and tracking methodologies.
Signal Group has recorded 217 Very Large Crude Carrier VLCC) orders so far in 2026, compared with 93 in all of 2025. Allied Shipbroking, using its own data, has counted 164 orders this year, up from 83 in 2025.
The figures should therefore be treated as separate industry estimates rather than a single definitive count. Both datasets indicate that VLCC ordering has roughly doubled from last year’s levels.
The buying wave, valued at more than $20 billion, is described as the strongest supertanker ordering cycle in at least 25 years and reflects expectations that changes in global crude flows could persist beyond the immediate conflict.
A VLCC can typically carry about two million barrels of crude oil, making the vessels central to long-distance petroleum transportation.
HORMUZ DISRUPTION CHANGES OIL ROUTES
The disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has forced Asian and European refiners to seek alternative supplies from farther afield.
Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the strategic waterway.
With traffic severely restricted, US crude exports have risen sharply while producers in the Atlantic basin are increasingly positioned to supply markets traditionally dependent on Middle Eastern oil.
Brazil, Guyana and Argentina are also expected to contribute to rising South American production.
Vortexa analyst Ioannis Papadimitriou estimated that production from the region could increase by around 2.5 million barrels per day by 2030, with much of the additional crude destined for European and Asian markets.
Veson Nautical senior analyst Rebecca Galanopoulos said expectations of increased long-haul shipments between the Atlantic basin and Asia were playing a significant role in renewed demand for VLCC orders.
TANKER RATES SURGE
Demand has also been intensified by the complicated movement of oil from the Gulf, where additional vessels are being used to move crude before transfers to larger tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
The process ties up vessels for longer periods and increases demand for available tanker capacity.
The situation has been further complicated by damage to Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, an alternative route for moving crude towards the Red Sea.
Tanker group Frontline CEO Lars Barstad said the disruption could require Saudi Arabia to participate more heavily in alternative shipping arrangements, at least temporarily.
Industry figures show VLCC spot rates recently exceeded $500,000 per day, compared with about $132,000 per day in February, before the conflict.
AGEING FLEET ADDS TO DEMAND
The ordering boom is not being driven solely by geopolitical disruption.
Around 20 per cent of the global VLCC fleet is more than 20 years old, increasing pressure on shipowners to renew ageing vessels.
A new VLCC costs about $130 million to build, according to industry estimates.
Some recently contracted ships are scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030, indicating that owners are positioning their fleets for longer-term demand rather than responding only to current freight rates.
The combination of disrupted Middle Eastern supply routes, longer crude journeys, strong freight rates and an ageing global fleet has consequently triggered one of the biggest waves of supertanker investment in decades.