Qatar Quietly Sends LNG Tanker Through Hormuz

Another liquefied natural gas shipment from Qatar transited the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, according to ship data, even as tension in the region threatens a broader peace deal between the US and Iran.

The Al Daayen tanker, which loaded at Qatar’s Ras Laffan export plant in late-February, was spotted east of Oman on Monday heading to China, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The tanker stopped broadcasting a signal around June 5, when it was idling near Ras Laffan in the Persian Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained virtually shut as the US and Iran struggle to agree on a peace deal, with both sides enforcing a de facto blockade on a waterway that normally handles about a fifth of global LNG supply. Vessels face security threats, forcing LNG exporters to ask them to turn off transponders to avoid detection.

So far, only eight other LNG shipments have been identified making it through Hormuz since the US and Israel started strikes against Iran at the end of February. That compares to roughly three tankers exiting the waterway on a daily basis before the war began.

The latest transit comes as Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes on Monday, despite US President Donald Trump calling for both sides to stop fighting and give peace talks a chance.

Seapeak, which manages Al Daayen, and QatarEnergy didn’t respond to requests for comment. The tanker has primarily exported fuel from Qatar over the last decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.