September LNG shipments through Strait of Hormuz reach highest since US-Iran war began

by@Reuters

Summary

In September, liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest level since the onset of the US-Iran war in February, with a total of 19 to 21 cargoes transiting the waterway. Despite ongoing security concerns from the conflict, the shipments included 13 from Qatar and six from the United Arab Emirates, according to data from analytics firms S&P and Kpler. Experts noted that the increase in transits, which have been facilitated by some vessels employing "dark transits" to evade detection, could play a crucial role in stabilizing winter supply in the energy market. The ability to maintain such shipments hinges on whether Iran will escalate military action in response to perceived losses of control over the strait.

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Analysis

Kpler: Kpler is an analytics firm that provides ship-tracking and energy market data. It supplied the September LNG cargo tally through the Strait of Hormuz cited in the news and tracks vessel movements including those with transponders switched off. Eric Yep: Eric Yep is a senior principal analyst at S&P Global Energy specializing in energy markets and shipping data. He provided analysis in the news on the acceleration of LNG transits through Hormuz in September and the conditions needed for sustained winter shipments. Al Gharrafa: Al Gharrafa is an LNG carrier vessel linked to QatarEnergy. According to the news, it completed a dark transit through the Strait of Hormuz between September 23 and 24 before reappearing west of India on September 30. QatarEnergy: QatarEnergy is Qatar's state-owned energy company responsible for the country's oil and gas production and exports. In the news, it is directly linked to multiple LNG vessels that have resumed transits through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing regional conflict. Milaha Qatar: Milaha Qatar is an LNG vessel managed by Germany's Pronav Ship Management and linked to QatarEnergy operations. The news details its transit through the Strait of Hormuz in mid-to-late September followed by reappearance and cargo offloading in India. Al Kharaitiyat: Al Kharaitiyat is an LNG carrier vessel linked to QatarEnergy. The news reports its recent dark transit through the Strait of Hormuz in late September before reappearing off the coast of India. Market Outlook: Analysts indicate that sustained LNG transits into October could help stabilize winter supply amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. Energy Shipping: LNG vessels from Qatar and the UAE continue to use the Strait of Hormuz despite security risks from the US-Iran conflict that began in February. Tracking Methods: Many vessels perform dark transits by switching off AIS transponders while passing through the Strait of Hormuz to avoid detection.

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