How fast are oil tankers?

Answer 1

Oil tankers come come in various shapes and sizes, but I am guessing you are referring to VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers) which are the workhorse of the industry. Technically speaking, oil tankers can go up to speeds of 15-16 knots, and they will do that sort of speed if going near dangerous spots such as strait of Aden as it will decrease the likelihood of pirates from boarding them. However, the fuel consumption increases (roughly) with the square of the speed, so steaming at that speed for long periods of time is uneconomic.

Generally speaking, tankers steam at 8-14 knots depending on the demand for tankers (i.e. their day rate - NOT the price of oil). At the time of writing, in early 2013, VLCCs are in very low demand, so the global fleet is steaming at about 8 knots, down from about 12 knots back in 2008. By comparison, LNG carriers are in short supply and the global fleet is currently steaming at about 13.5 knots.

I hope that helps.
8 knots .

That sounds low to me. I would have thought around 12 knots.

Oil tankers usually sail between 14 to 17 knots, average about 14 to 15 knots. This answer is depending on if the vessel is loaded or in ballast. And also depending on the weather.

Additional information:

vessels often sail the same distance in 24 hours as an airplane fly in 1 hour.