First LNG Tanker Traverses Strait of Hormuz Since War Closure: Kpler

A ship fully loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the Middle East war virtually closed the route in early March, according to marine tracking firm Kpler. The LNG carrier Mubaraz, operated by the Emirati national oil company Adnoc, left the Gulf sometime in April with 132,890 cubic metres of LNG on board, having loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates on March 2.

Iranian forces virtually closed off the strait after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to retaliate across the region. After peace talks with Iran failed, the US on April 13 launched a counter-blockade, turning back ships coming from Iranian ports and boarding others in Asia.

The Mubaraz switched off its AIS transponder at the end of March for a month before transmitting again off the coast of India on Monday. Kpler analyst Charles Costerousse said it could be that the vessel managed to cross the strait during the weekend of April 18-19, when multiple vessels attempted to cross the strait, including seven LNG tankers.

The Sohar LNG was the only LNG carrier to have previously crossed the strait since March 1 but it was empty or very lightly loaded. The LNG market, in which Qatar is one of the main players, has been among the hardest hit by the traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.

MarineTraffic reported that a 333-metre (1,000-foot) supertanker, the Idemitsu Maru, crossed laden with oil on Tuesday, passing close to an Iranian checkpoint in the north of the strait. Bloomberg said the Nasha was loaded with two million barrels of oil and they also reported a cluster of other tankers off the Iranian port of Chabahar, west of the strait towards the US blockade line.