The Crude Voyager report shows that crude oil shipments across the U.S. Gulf Coast fell by 679 Mb/d and were estimated at 3.7 MMb/d for the week ended June 2. With these shipments included, crude oil exports from the Gulf Coast in May were estimated at 3.5 MMb/d, down 16% from the previous month and the lowest since January. Only Houston-area terminals loaded more cargoes than in the previous month; for the remaining regions, fewer shipments were noted.
After two months of loading cargoes onto a record number of tankers, Gulf Coast terminals loaded crude onto fewer tankers in May. Only 23 Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) loaded directly at an export terminal in May, down from the record 38 VLCCs noted during April. Most of the shipments loaded during May were scheduled for Europe, followed by Asia Pacific. Not surprisingly, the Netherlands was the most scheduled destination for supertankers during the month.
