Port-to-port sea distance

Mina Al Ahmadi to LOOP distance

The sea distance from Mina Al Ahmadi (Kuwait) to LOOP (United States) is about 9,779 nautical miles (18,110 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar. At 12 knots that is about 33 days 23 hours at sea.

Distance

9,779 nm

18,110 km

Sea days @ 12 kn

34.0

33 days 23 hours

ECA miles

3,674 nm

38% of the route

Canals & straits

Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar

Run the TCE free See on map

Sea days by speed

Speed	One way	Round voyage
10 knots	40.7 days	81.5 days
11 knots	37.0 days	74.1 days
12 knots	34.0 days	67.9 days
13 knots	31.3 days	62.7 days
14 knots	29.1 days	58.2 days
15 knots	27.2 days	54.3 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

9,779 nm

34.0 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · Bab-el-Mandeb · Suez Canal · Strait of Gibraltar · 3,674 nm in ECA

See it on the map

Via the Cape of Good Hope (avoiding Suez and the Red Sea)

12,495 nm+2,716 nm

43.4 days at 12 kn · Strait of Hormuz · 833 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 12,495 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 2,716 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 Mina Al Ahmadi from LOOP by sea?

The sea distance from Mina Al Ahmadi to LOOP is about 9,779 nautical miles (18,110 km), via the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal and Strait of Gibraltar.

How long does a tanker take to sail from Mina Al Ahmadi to LOOP?

About 33 days 23 hours at 12 knots, or 29.1 days at 14 knots. That is steaming time only; add time for port calls, canal transits and weather.

Which canals and straits does the Mina Al Ahmadi–LOOP 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 3,674 nm, or 38% 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.