Port-to-port sea distance
Basrah Oil Terminal to Houston distance
The sea distance from Basrah Oil Terminal (Iraq) to Houston (United States) is about 10,008 nautical miles (18,535 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar. At 12 knots that is about 34 days 18 hours at sea.
Distance
10,008 nm
18,535 km
Sea days @ 12 kn
34.8
34 days 18 hours
ECA miles
3,911 nm
39% of the route
Canals & straits
4
Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar
Sea days by speed
| Speed | One way | Round voyage |
|---|---|---|
| 10 knots | 41.7 days | 83.4 days |
| 11 knots | 37.9 days | 75.8 days |
| 12 knots | 34.8 days | 69.5 days |
| 13 knots | 32.1 days | 64.2 days |
| 14 knots | 29.8 days | 59.6 days |
| 15 knots | 27.8 days | 55.6 days |
Steaming time only, with no allowance for weather, canal waiting or port time. The round voyage assumes the ship ballasts back on the same route.
Routes compared
Shortest route
10,008 nm
34.8 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar · 3,911 nm in ECA
See it on the mapVia the Cape of Good Hope (avoiding Suez and the Red Sea)
12,722 nm+2,714 nm
44.2 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · 1,068 nm in ECA
See it on the map- A fully laden VLCC is deeper than the Suez Canal's 20.1 m draft limit, so it either goes round the Cape of Good Hope or discharges part of its cargo into the SUMED pipeline first. For a laden VLCC the Cape routing of 12,722 nm is the one to use.
- Since early 2024 many owners have kept their ships out of the Red Sea. Routing via the Cape of Good Hope adds 2,714 nm (about 9.4 days at 12 knots).
Voyage estimates by ship size
About this trade
Arabian Gulf & Red Sea → Europe & US crude. Westbound Gulf crude into the Mediterranean, North-west Europe and the US. Routing depends on draft and on the Red Sea: fully laden VLCCs go round the Cape, Suezmaxes can transit Suez.
- Typical ship sizes
- VLCC, Suezmax
- Related benchmark routes
- TD1 (MEG–USG VLCC), TD23 (MEG–Med Suezmax)
Questions
How far is Basrah Oil Terminal from Houston by sea?
The sea distance from Basrah Oil Terminal to Houston is about 10,008 nautical miles (18,535 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar.
How long does a tanker take to sail from Basrah Oil Terminal to Houston?
About 34 days 18 hours at 12 knots, or 29.8 days at 14 knots. That is steaming time only; add time for port calls, canal transits and weather.
Which canals and straits does the Basrah Oil Terminal–Houston route pass?
The shortest route passes the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar. Alternative routings are listed above for ships that cannot or will not use them.
How much of the voyage is inside an Emission Control Area?
About 3,911 nm, or 39% of the voyage, is inside an ECA, where ships must burn 0.10% sulphur fuel or use a scrubber.
Terms on this page
Distances are calculated by Vessbook on a modelled global shipping-lane network for a tanker at 12 m draft, from berth area to berth area.
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