Singapore, Sept. 28 (SANA) Qatar-linked liquefied natural gas tankers are increasingly moving through the Strait of Hormuz after traffic largely disappeared in August amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.
Both laden and empty LNG carriers linked to QatarEnergy have been recorded crossing the strait over the past week, data from Kpler and the London Stock Exchange Group showed.
No Qatar-linked LNG tankers or vessels carrying cargoes from Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas facility were detected transiting the strait in August amid concerns over possible Iranian attacks as Tehran sought to restrict shipping through the waterway, Reuters reported.
Some vessels may have crossed undetected after switching off their Automatic Identification System transponders, but tracking data showed an increase in recorded LNG movements during September.
The GasLog Skagen, carrying LNG from Ras Laffan, was spotted off Sri Lanka on Sept. 27 after leaving the Gulf. The vessel, operated by Greece-based GasLog LNG Services, had remained inside the Gulf since the start of the war, transporting Qatari cargoes to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Another tanker carrying Qatari LNG, Al Shamal, was last detected inside the Strait of Hormuz on Sept. 19 before reappearing outside the waterway around Sept. 24-25. The Seapeak Maritime-managed vessel was later sailing off southern India.
Two other Qatar-linked tankers, Mesaimeer and Al Ghashamiya, left the Gulf carrying cargoes from Ras Laffan. Mesaimeer was detected off Oman on Sept. 23, while Al Ghashamiya delivered its cargo to Dahej, India, the following day.
Other recorded movements included Al Samriya and Al Daayen, which appeared outside the strait on Sept. 17, while Shandong Redwood crossed the waterway on Sept. 19 before delivering an LNG cargo to Pakistan four days later.
Traffic has moved in both directions. Al Mafyar, a Qatar-linked tanker last detected outside Hormuz on Sept. 19, reappeared empty inside the strait on Sept. 22.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy shipments. About a fifth of global crude oil and LNG supplies passed through the waterway before shipping was disrupted by the war that began in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Ship-tracking figures may not capture all traffic because vessels can avoid detection by switching off their AIS transponders.
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