Oil Shipments Through Strait of Hormuz Reach 12.5 Million Barrels

Vice President JD Vance said 12.5 million barrels of oil transited the Strait of Hormuz overnight, the highest volume since the start of the conflict. He told reporters that Iranian forces did not fire on any vessels for a second consecutive night and that the U.S. Navy has allowed more than a dozen ships to reach Iranian ports.

U.S. Central Command announced that the naval blockade has been lifted. Shipping data cited by Lloyd’s List showed vessels operated by Grimaldi Group, Cosco, and NYK beginning to exit the strait. Three Saudi supertankers carrying six million barrels crossed the waterway earlier in the week.

Intermediate crude traded at $75.81 per barrel, down 0.26 percent, while Brent crude stood at $79.68 per barrel after a 3 percent morning decline. Some vessel-tracking services reported ships still turning back before entering the strait.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordered PJM Interconnection, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, California Independent System Operator, Southwest Power Pool, New York ISO, and ISO New England to reassess their rules for connecting large-load facilities such as data centers.

The commission found existing interconnection procedures “unjust and unreasonable” and issued show-cause orders requiring each operator to justify or revise its practices. The commission declined to adopt uniform national rules proposed by the Energy Department in October.

It said the orders do not preclude future rulemaking.

FERC also voted to end its “cumulative effects analysis” for natural-gas pipeline and infrastructure projects. Chair Laura Swett said the change draws on recent legislation, the rescission of prior regulations, and the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County. She added that environmental reviews will continue.