Suspected First LNG Ship Crossing the Strait of Hormuz: Opportunity Emerges in the Stalemate of Middle East Conflict Supply Chain

Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict two months ago, the first batch of liquefied natural gas cargoes seems to have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and sailed out of the Persian Gulf. Ship tracking data shows that the vessel "Mubaraz" completed loading at the Das Island facility of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the UAE in early March and is currently passing through the southern tip of India. The tanker had been idle in the Persian Gulf for some time, with its ship positioning signal interrupting around March 31 and only resuming its sailing trajectory in the waters off the west coast of India on April 27. Currently, the global energy market is highly focused on the shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz. Over the past two months, due to mutual blockade between Iran and the United States, the passage through the strait has almost dropped to zero. This waterway accounts for about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas, and its closure has tightened the market, leading to a significant increase in liquefied natural gas prices. To avoid monitoring, it is common practice in the industry for ships to turn off their response systems when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, and ship positioning data may also encounter signal interference or information changes. The ship belongs to a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and the company has not yet responded to requests for comment. Currently, the signals emitted by Mubaraz indicate that its destination is a terminal in China. In early April, tracking data did show an empty liquefied natural gas ship leaving the Strait of Hormuz. However, as of now, it has not been confirmed that any ships carrying liquefied natural gas have completed the passage of this route. Several ships carrying Qatar's liquefied natural gas had approached the strait but turned back due to the ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.