Qatar LNG Vessel Traffic Through Hormuz Strait Picked Up Despite Conflict

Despite ongoing conflict in the region, traffic of liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels through the Strait of Hormuz has picked up in recent weeks. Data from Kpler shows that several QatarEnergy-linked LNG vessels have transited the strait since August, when fears of attack by Iran led to a halt in visible transits.

The latest vessel to reappear outside the strait is the GasLog Skagen, which showed up off Sri Lanka on September 27 with a cargo from Ras Laffan. The vessel had been inside the Gulf from the start of the war, ferrying cargoes from Qatar to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

Other Qatar-linked vessels have also made it through, including the Al Shamal, Mesaimeer, Al Ghashamiya, Al Samriya, and Shandong Redwood. Some vessels have made 'dark transits' by turning off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders to avoid detection.

The Strait of Hormuz carries a significant portion of global supplies of crude oil and LNG, making the resumption of traffic through the strait an important development in the region's energy landscape.