Half of all the oil we need passes through two runners, and one is right now the hottest point of the planet

We can think that overall supply chain It is solid due to the number of transport options. However, commercial networks in huge airplanes, the rail transport that China wants to boost With his new ‘Silk routeor the road transport They remain in the background if we compare it with The reliable old man: the ship. And, when we talk about oil transport worldwide, this is something that is much more evidenced.

This graph prepared by Visual Capitalist It reflects it perfectly.

The data. Talking about oil is talking about certain countries that brings together the bulk of reserves. However, not always the most oil is the one who produces the most (to tell Venzuela), and world trade in crude passes through a few points between Asia and the Middle East.

If these funnels have any problem, the entire world will also have it because the estimated amount that moves every day is an absolute barbarity:

Malaca is the big funnel. With 23.7 million barrels per day moved in 2023, you have to talk about the first name of the list: the Strait of Malaca. It is a narrow complex due to its depth and wide, but it has become the main oil transport channel in the Middle East to Japan, South Korea and, above all, China.

The Asian giant is the main oil importer (Although the batteries are being put to become one of the main producers) and it is estimated that 25% of the maritime transport of crude passes through this corridor. Its location between the Peninsula of Malaysia and Sumatra makes it the shortest and, therefore economic road between the Indian and the Pacific. And is responsible for Singapore is the largest gas station in the ocean.

Ormuz, the hot spot. If Malaca’s is vital for the crude that goes to Asia, that of Ormuz It is essential for the one from the great producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Arab Emirates, Kuwait or will go to the rest of the West (although a lot of production also goes to Asia). The Strait has about 167 km long and about 40 wide, but navigation routes are much narrower.

Now, its peculiarity is that it has sufficient depth to allow the transit of the great oil tankers and entrepreneurships. The problem is its location. This is the only significant maritime exit (for trade) that the Persian Gulf has and, like Malaca’s, it is a strategic point that Recently it has been in the foreground due to the War between Iran, Israel and the United States actions.

Fragile balance. Being the 20% output point of the oil worldwide, and also moving much of the Liquefied natural gas which is consumed in the world, a block would have deep effects on the economy and global energy dependence. The estimate is that about 20 million barrels are moved daily and, if that flow is compromised, prices HE They would shoot at levels similar to the right views after Start of the Ukraine War or in the 70’s oil crisis.

In addition, other points such as Suez or Malaca They would receive more ship influxwhich would carry overloads, shipping delays and would not serve to relax the barrel price increase. And the most important thing that lets us see this map is that, although there are several critical points for oil, two of them bring together almost half of the crude oil movement of the entire planet, which implies a balance that the Geopolitical tensions They can destabilize easily.

Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirates are promoting the creation of pipelines to diversify the supply routes, and in the aforementioned ‘New Silk route’ are also raised alternatives to reduce the dependence of the narrows in the oil that moves to China. But, for the moment, Malaca and Ormuz are the hottest points of oil worldwide.

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