Kuwait is selling crude to Asian refiners for the first time since the Iran war started, indicating rising oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 4 million barrels of Kuwait's main export grade are being offered to refiners in China and South Korea, traders said.
The offers add to evidence that Hormuz flows are opening up, a trend coinciding with increased US coordination of transits.
Persian Gulf producers have sent tankers out despite Tehran's threat to shipping in the strait, with vessels largely passing through with transponders turned off.
Total energy flows from the region remain far below pre-war levels, but the oil is being offered directly by state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp.
The barrels have already exited the waterway and can be taken to ports in Asia promptly, traders said.
