Overview
- The MT Sanmar Herald berthed at Paradip Port’s Single Point Mooring I on July 1, 2026, anchored about 22 kilometres offshore and began offloading Iraqi crude through the SPM system that lets very large tankers discharge without entering the harbour.
- The vessel sustained shrapnel damage to its bridge during a hostile engagement while transiting near the Strait of Hormuz and then altered course and delayed transit until the waterway reopened.
- Paradip Port Authority reported that all officers and the roughly 22 crew remained safe and that port teams boarded the ship to felicitate the Master and crew as discharge operations started.
- The tanker carried Basrah Medium and Basrah Heavy crude and was reported by some outlets to be holding nearly 2 million barrels, a figure that has been widely cited but is limited in sourcing.
- The episode highlights the persistent risk posed by the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and signals that continued naval escorts, port coordination, insurance shifts, and routing changes may be needed to protect energy supply chains.