LNG Flows Rebound Through Hormuz as Producers Seek Relief

LNG shipments have resumed passing through the Strait of Hormuz as producers seek to increase flows to a market plagued by supply shortages and high prices. At least two liquefied natural gas tankers transited the contested waterway this week, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

One tanker loaded at Qatar's Ras Laffan export plant in late August and was spotted in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week. Another two LNG carriers were seen doing ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman, as captured in satellite images published by Copernicus Sentinel-2.

The trickle of shipments indicates that Persian Gulf LNG producers are attempting to get more fuel through Hormuz to provide relief to Asian and European buyers. Exports from the gulf have been at a standstill since a Qatari tanker was attacked by Iran in early July, sending spot prices to their highest level in over three years.