First LNG tanker crosses the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint

The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment, since the West Asia conflict began on February 28, appeared to have traversed the Strait of Hormuz, signalling a potential breakthrough at a key global energy chokepoint, reports said on Tuesday, citing ship-tracking data. 

The LNG tanker Mubaraz — which loaded cargo from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co’s Das Island facility in early March



— was passing the southern tip of India, according to the ship-tracking data.

The vessel had remained idle inside the Persian Gulf for weeks and had stopped transmitting signals around March 31, before reappearing west of India on Monday. Global energy markets have been closely monitoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s LNG supply passes.