LNG tanker crosses Hormuz for first time since war started

A liquefied natural gas tanker managed by the UAE’s Adnoc has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and appears to be near India, ship-tracking data showed.

If confirmed, this will be the first loaded LNG tanker to cross the strait since the Iran war started on February 28. Adnoc did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The 136,357-cubic-metre tanker, which is managed by Adnoc Logistics & Services and was last seen in the Gulf on March 30, has shown up off the west coast of India, suggesting it crossed the strait after several weeks without signal, according to data on Monday from ICIS LNG Edge, Marine Traffic and LSEG.

Ships around the Gulf have been using evasive tactics such as stopping transmitting their locations or transmitting false identification numbers to avoid being targeted or detained, ship-tracking data showed.

“We have not yet heard official confirmation of the position. There are occasional cases of bad signal data, or of ships spoofing positions or even using another ship’s identity number, but the indicated position does not show immediately obvious signs of this,” said Alex Froley, senior LNG analyst at ICIS, a data intelligence firm.

“If the tanker has crossed, it would be a hopeful sign for the gas market, but only a very early one. One tanker crossing would not necessarily guarantee that more could follow, as the situation has been changing rapidly,” Froley added.

A few Qatari tankers have tried twice to cross the strait in April without success. An empty Omani LNG tanker managed to cross the strait earlier this month.

Further reading:

• The Hormuz islands that hold sway over global energy
• US shipping blockade raises sanctions risks for Gulf businesses
• Inflation expected to rise but Iran war impact to vary by country