ADNOC Keeps LNG Flowing Amid Escalating Hormuz Tensions

Despite escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati energy major ADNOC continues to load liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Das Island export terminal. According to satellite imaging data cited by Bloomberg, one tanker was docked at the terminal on September 2, with another nearby but in 'dark mode' - a tactic used to avoid detection.

ADNOC has been among the hardest hit by the Hormuz closure, which has disrupted oil exports and prompted the company to accelerate plans for boosting pipeline capacity. The UAE energy major is building a new pipeline to Fujairah, doubling the existing export conduit's capacity by next year.

To secure LNG exports, the UAE has resorted to rare ship-to-ship transfers outside the Strait of Hormuz. Recent reports indicate that three LNG carriers loaded from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf had transferred their cargoes onto other vessels outside the strait over the past month - a move typically reserved for oil tankers.

ADNOC recently warned that the impact of the war on energy supply could stretch into 2027, a prospect looking increasingly likely. Despite efforts to get some LNG out of the Persian Gulf, flows appear all but frozen, with Bloomberg and others reporting recent disruptions.