Port-to-port sea distance
Basrah Oil Terminal to Philadelphia distance
The sea distance from Basrah Oil Terminal (Iraq) to Philadelphia (United States) is about 8,552 nautical miles (15,839 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar. At 12 knots that is about 29 days 17 hours at sea.
Distance
8,552 nm
15,839 km
Sea days @ 12 kn
29.7
29 days 17 hours
ECA miles
2,792 nm
33% 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 | 35.6 days | 71.3 days |
| 11 knots | 32.4 days | 64.8 days |
| 12 knots | 29.7 days | 59.4 days |
| 13 knots | 27.4 days | 54.8 days |
| 14 knots | 25.5 days | 50.9 days |
| 15 knots | 23.8 days | 47.5 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
8,552 nm
29.7 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar · 2,792 nm in ECA
See it on the mapVia the Cape of Good Hope (avoiding Suez and the Red Sea)
12,104 nm+3,552 nm
42.0 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · 1,009 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 12,104 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 3,552 nm (about 12.3 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 Philadelphia by sea?
The sea distance from Basrah Oil Terminal to Philadelphia is about 8,552 nautical miles (15,839 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 Philadelphia?
About 29 days 17 hours at 12 knots, or 25.5 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–Philadelphia 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 2,792 nm, or 33% 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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