First Loaded Natural Gas Tanker Clears the Strait of Hormuz Since Conflict Began

First Loaded Natural Gas Tanker Clears the Strait of Hormuz Since Conflict Began

2026-04-28 global

Abu Dhabi, Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
After vanishing from tracking systems for weeks, a fully loaded natural gas tanker successfully navigated the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, signaling potential relief for strained global energy markets.

The precise moment the Mubaraz breached the blockade remains slightly ambiguous [alert! ‘Tracking data was disabled during the crossing’], though analysts at marine tracking firm Kpler suggest the vessel likely made its covert transit during the weekend of April 18 to 19 [5]. Industry experts indicate the ship navigated the strait under the cover of darkness with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders switched off, before finally reappearing on tracking screens off the western coast of India on April 27 [1][7]. This successful passage stands in stark contrast to the broader paralysis in the region; daily ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have plummeted to roughly seven, a staggering drop of 94.4 percent from the lower bound of 125 daily transits recorded prior to the conflict [7].

Asian Markets and Supply Chain Strain

The de facto closure of a waterway that historically handles around 20 percent of global LNG trade has sent shockwaves through international energy markets [2][5]. Asian markets, heavily reliant on Middle Eastern gas, have been particularly hard hit. Over the past month, the 30-day moving average of net LNG shipments to Asia plummeted below 600,000 tons, driving imports to their lowest levels since the pandemic-induced demand crash of June 2020 [4]. Compounding this supply shock, Qatar’s LNG export capacity has suffered severe damage from Iranian missile strikes, prompting state-owned QatarEnergy to declare force majeure on its contracts and begin quantifying the massive financial losses [4].

Sources


Energy markets Liquefied natural gas