Tankers, barges and fuel trucks
Ships, barges, rail tank cars, road tankers and cans that move liquid fuels.
Transport · Liquid and gaseous fuels · No. 56
- Transport
- Form: Liquid fuel
In September 2026 a supertanker earned about USD 1.1 million a day, against a 20-year average of USD 29,900.
Chart: Illustration: Tankers, barges and fuel trucks
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Shore pumps fill a tanker's separate tanks, and cleaned exhaust gas fills the space above the oil to prevent fire. A loaded VLCC draws about 20 m and carries roughly 2.2 million barrels.
Three things to know
- A VLCC round trip from the Gulf to Japan burns only about 0.6-1.6% of its cargo's energy.
- Of 862 shadow-fleet tankers that have carried Russian oil since 2023, 583 (68%) are sanctioned by at least one Western government.
- Hormuz flows fell from about 20 million b/d before the 2026 war to an average of 2.7 million from March to May.
The journey
- 1 TerminalShore pumps fill about 17 tanks
- 2 InertingExhaust gas keeps oxygen too low
- 3 VoyageThrough Hormuz, Malacca, Suez or the Cape
- 4 DischargeSteam pumps push the oil ashore
- 5 Last mileBarge, rail car, road tanker or jerrycan