London, Oct. 2 (SANA) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz rose in September to their highest monthly level since the outbreak of the American-Israeli war against Iran, despite ongoing security concerns and navigation uncertainties.
Data from S&P Global Commodity Insights showed that 19 LNG cargoes passed through the strait during September, including 13 from Qatar and 6 from the United Arab Emirates.
Eric Yep, a senior analyst at S&P Global, told Reuters that shipment numbers increased from 15 in June, noting an acceleration in LNG tanker transits during the second half of September. He added that if this trend continues through October, total monthly transits could recover to around 25 percent of pre-war levels.
In separate data, Kpler recorded 21 LNG tankers transiting the strait in September, compared to 15 in June. Recent weeks saw an increasing number of QatarEnergy-affiliated LNG tankers—both laden and ballast—navigating the corridor despite the ongoing conflict. Vessel-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG showed three additional tankers linked to Qatar’s Ras Laffan export terminal emerging outside the strait, including the Alkharaitiyat, Al Gharrafa, and Milaha Qatar.
“Dark transits” and winter navigation concerns
Some vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz turn off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders in operations known as “dark transits” to minimize detection.
Yep noted that main concerns now center on whether LNG tanker movements can be sustained through the winter. This depends on whether Iran might escalate militarily if it perceives rising export flows as eroding its leverage over the waterway, alongside the sustainability and high cost of US-escorted naval convoys.
US President Donald Trump announced on September 27 that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to navigation under US protection, noting that the US military is facilitating the transit of large quantities of oil through the waterway.
M.Q.R/H.H
