US crude exporters are increasingly turning to smaller Aframax tankers to ship oil to Asia as soaring freight rates make VLCC voyages prohibitively expensive. The shift comes as Middle East tensions escalate, reducing the availability of larger vessels and pushing shippers to find alternative solutions.

Each Aframax vessel carries approximately 700,000 barrels, meaning three such ships are needed to match a single VLCC's capacity. While more costly on a per-barrel basis, these smaller vessels can be secured faster, allowing traders to move barrels despite the tight freight market. Recent bookings include the Sea Turtle and Kalahari for Glencore Plc's shipping arm, and the Alicante for Thailand's PTT.

Industry analysts view this trend as a significant indicator of market stress. When Asian national oil companies begin sourcing from the US Gulf Coast, it typically signals they're scrambling to replace barrels no longer reliably available from the Persian Gulf. This shift in shipping patterns reflects broader changes in global crude flows as the Middle East crisis disrupts traditional trade routes.