By Stephen Stapczynski
September 18, 2026 – At least two shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the Strait of Hormuz this week. Producers are trying to increase supply to a market that is facing shortages and rising prices.
One tanker, which loaded at Qatar’s Ras Laffan export facility in late August, was tracked to the Gulf of Oman earlier this week. Ship-tracking data shows it likely passed through the critical waterway. However, the tanker was not transmitting a signal while navigating through Hormuz, which is common due to frequent jamming and interference in the area, making it hard to determine the exact location of vessels.
Additionally, two more LNG carriers were seen conducting ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman this week. Satellite images released by Copernicus Sentinel-2 show these activities, although the images are delayed in availability.
These shipments suggest that LNG producers in the Persian Gulf are finding ways to push more fuel through Hormuz to help Asian and European buyers. Exports from the region have been nearly halted since a Qatari tanker was attacked by Iran in early July. This shortage has driven spot prices to their highest in over three years, and they could increase further as winter approaches in the Northern Hemisphere.
QatarEnergy has not commented on the situation.
Satellite images indicate that at least three ship-to-ship LNG transfers have occurred off Oman’s coast since mid-August. While oil tankers frequently engage in such transfers, they are relatively rare for LNG due to the complexities of maintaining the gas in a super-chilled state during the process.
Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are prompting LNG producers to explore new options. Buyers in Pakistan and Bangladesh, who rely on gas from Hormuz, are closely watching developments. Each successful shipment reduces the need to purchase gas from the more expensive spot market.
Before the conflict, about three LNG cargoes passed through Hormuz daily, with Qatari exports contributing to roughly one-fifth of the global supply.