LNG Tankers Appear to Transfer Fuel as Hormuz Tensions Persist

By Sing Yee Ong and Stephen Stapczynski

Two liquefied natural gas tankers appeared to be conducting a ship-to-ship transfer outside the Strait of Hormuz, according to satellite images seen by Bloomberg, as suppliers seek to keep fuel moving from inside the Persian Gulf to global markets.

The LNG Enugu was docked near the city of Sohar on the Gulf of Oman and anchored parallel to a second vessel, images taken by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite on Saturday showed. The positions are typical of a ship-to-ship maneuver and would suggest that the tankers could be transferring a cargo.

The LNG Enugu had its transponder turned on and is owned by BW Gas LNG Carriers, part of BW Group Ltd., according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. It has been circling the Gulf of Oman in recent days, the data shows. The second vessel was identified as the Mraweh, which is owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., according to TankerTrackers.com Inc. Its transponder was turned off.

Read More: UAE Presses Ahead With Persian Gulf LNG Exports Despite Tensions

The latest movements signal how exporters are attempting to keep LNG moving through Hormuz, even though visible shipments of the fuel through the waterway have effectively been at a standstill since an Iranian attack on a Qatar-owned tanker in early July. While the Islamic Republic appears to be edging closer to a deal with Oman on management of the strait, no agreement has been finalized.

Unlike with oil, ship-to-ship transfers of LNG are relatively uncommon due to the technical challenges involved in keeping the fuel super-chilled during any switch. If confirmed, the transfer would likely be the first known instance of LNG from inside the Persian Gulf being moved to a different vessel outside Hormuz, according to Bloomberg’s analysis.

The model “allows shuttle vessels to move cargoes from Das Island and transfer them outside the strait, reducing exposure for other LNG carriers,” said Go Katayama, principal insight analyst for LNG at market intelligence firm Kpler. “We expect this activity to remain elevated while regional security risks persist,” he added.

The ship-tracking data showed that Mraweh was last seen inside the Persian Gulf, near the western entrance of Hormuz, on July 29. The vessel made an inbound voyage to the Gulf last month without transmitting a signal during its crossing of the strait.

A spokesperson for Adnoc Logistics & Services said the company does not comment on specific operational matters, including voyage planning and vessel movements. BW Group also declined to comment.

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