WANA (Aug 30) – The Liberian-flagged crude oil tanker ELLIE abruptly reversed course last night after entering the southern transit corridor of the Strait of Hormuz, turning back toward its point of origin.

 

According to maritime tracking data, the vessel (MMSI: 636025641) listed its destination as “For Orders Unknown.” Prior to the turnaround, the tanker had disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder for more than 15 hours, during which no location updates were broadcast.

 

The last position transmitted before the dark period was recorded at 15:00 UTC on August 28, with the vessel traveling at a speed of approximately 14.9 knots.

Route mapping indicates that after passing off the coast of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, the tanker entered the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz.

 

However, after covering a portion of the route, it executed a complete U-turn and headed back toward waters off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

 

Subsequent tracking data shows that ELLIE’s speed dropped sharply this morning from around 6 knots to nearly 2 knots—a pattern typically indicating that the vessel has halted or is preparing to anchor in the Fujairah/Khor Fakkan area.

 

No official reason has been provided for the tanker’s reversal or its extended AIS blackout.