At least two liquefied natural gas carriers have traversed the Strait of Hormuz this week, signaling a cautious resumption of shipments through the strategic waterway amid tight global supply and surging prices. Producers are actively exploring ways to boost gas deliveries to ease mounting pressure on buyers in Asia and Europe.

Ship-tracking data reveals that a vessel loaded at Qatar's Ras Laffan export terminal in late August was detected in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week, confirming its passage through the contested strait. The ship transmitted no location signals while transiting the waterway, a region where signal interference and jamming are common, complicating precise vessel tracking.

Delayed satellite imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission further shows two additional LNG carriers conducting ship-to-ship transfers off the Omani coast this week. The return of limited cargo traffic suggests that Persian Gulf producers are intensifying efforts to move natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, offering some relief to importers facing dwindling inventories.

LNG exports from the Persian Gulf had nearly ground to a halt since an Iranian attack on a Qatari tanker in early July. The resulting shortfall has driven spot prices to their highest levels in over three years, with further upside risks looming as the Northern Hemisphere winter approaches.

QatarEnergy declined to respond to requests for comment. Satellite images indicate at least three LNG ship-to-ship transfers have occurred off Oman since mid-August. While tankers have increasingly adopted such transfer methods in recent months, LNG vessels rarely utilize them due to the technical complexity of maintaining ultra-low temperatures throughout the entire operation.

With ongoing Middle East conflicts, LNG producers are being forced to test alternative delivery strategies. Pakistan and Bangladesh, both reliant on imports through the Strait of Hormuz, have buyers closely monitoring the situation—each successful ship passage means they can avoid purchasing from the high-priced spot market.

Before the conflict escalated, approximately three LNG carriers passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, with Qatari exports accounting for roughly one-fifth of global supply.