Oil and LNG Tankers Go Dark Again as Hormuz Crisis Deepens

Oil and LNG tankers are back to switching off transponders when transiting the Strait of Hormuz as the latest escalation in the region and last week’s Iranian attacks on commercial ships prompted vessel operators to brave the chokepoint unobserved. Total tanker traffic collapsed on Sunday to just six vessels managing to clear the Strait of Hormuz, all in the so-called dark mode to avoid detection, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing preliminary data by Kpler it had analyzed. The re-emergence of the dark-mode transit is in stark contrast…

LNG Market Background

The global LNG market has undergone a structural transformation in recent years, with U.S. exports reshaping trade flows and providing consuming nations with greater supply optionality. European buyers have accelerated long-term LNG contracting following the disruption of Russian pipeline gas supplies.

New LNG liquefaction capacity — from the U.S. Gulf Coast, Qatar's North Field expansion, and Australian projects — is expected to add significant supply volumes through the late 2020s, with implications for long-term contract pricing and spot market dynamics.

What to Watch

Stakeholders will be tracking spot LNG cargo pricing in Asian and European markets, liquefaction plant utilization rates, and upcoming long-term supply contract negotiations as global LNG trade flows continue to evolve.