LNG Cargoes Transferred Outside Strait of Hormuz Amid Tensions

Three liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes have been transferred between ships outside the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks. These transfers were necessary due to heightened tensions in the strait, which is a key shipping route.

The incident occurred after several commercial vessels faced attacks amid the US and Israeli war on Iran, which started on February 28. Most LNG tankers that managed to transit the strait delivered their cargoes directly to end-buyers. However, ship-to-ship (STS) LNG transfers are unusual, unlike crude oil.

The GasLog Shanghai, which was involved in an incident while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on July 31, completed a transfer with GasLog Savannah off the coast of Oman in late August. Another Qatari LNG tanker, Al Rekayyat, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with Tembek in mid-August on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates.

A third tanker, ADNOC-controlled Mraweh, completed an STS transfer with LNG Enugu off the coast of Oman, outside the Hormuz strait. The Mraweh had loaded an LNG cargo from Das Island in early August before conducting the transfer.