LNG flows through Strait of Hormuz remain more than 75% below pre-war levels — OilPrice

Liquefied natural gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz appear to have begun recovering, but remain more than 75% below the level before the start of the war with Iran. Since the end of last week, at least three LNG carriers have passed through the strait, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and Kpler.

OilPrice reports this. The increase in voyages continues the September recovery in transit, but shipping volumes remain substantially below pre-war figures.

September volumes

In September, 21 LNG cargoes passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Kpler estimates. Reuters reported that this was the highest monthly number since the start of the war with Iran, but it still remained significantly below the pre-war level. Before the war, approximately three LNG cargoes regularly passed through the strait per day.

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Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz accounted for one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas supplies. In recent weeks, cargoes from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have passed through it, but their volumes remain too low to significantly affect the global LNG balance.

Risks to shipping

Most LNG carriers pass through the strait in so-called dark mode, complicating the tracking of voyages and the assessment of flows and the global supply balance. The UK Maritime Trade Operations, a British service linked to the Royal Navy, reported an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. It was the eighth report in a week of a vessel being hit by an unidentified projectile.

Restrictions on LNG supplies from the Middle East over the past six months have pushed September gas prices in Asia and Europe to their highest levels since the 2022–2023 energy crisis, the publication notes.