Why has LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply, and what is happening to the LNG that isn’t being exported?

LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply — with no LNG tankers visible passing through since Thursday and the 10-day moving average of laden LNG transits falling to 0.2 cargoes per day by July 15 from ~0.8 in late June — because of escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities and associated maritime disruptions, including a U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and Iranian threats against vessels violating its navigation rules in the strait. Despite this export bottleneck, LNG production and vessel loadings at Qatar and the UAE have continued robustly, resulting in growing floating storage: as of mid-July, seven laden Qatari LNG carriers held ~0.57 million metric tons of LNG, and nearly 1.9 million tons of LNG tanker capacity (equivalent to ~eight days’ worth of typical pre-war peak exports from Qatar and the UAE) was positioned inside the Gulf, awaiting safe passage.

How many oil-carrying vessels entered the Strait of Hormuz to load oil recently, and what does this indicate about current shipping activity?

Since Friday, at least three oil products tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) entered the Strait of Hormuz to load oil, according to LSEG data — a notably low number amid heightened regional tensions, reflected also in only four vessels transiting the strait on Sunday (down from eight the previous day). This subdued activity signals significant disruption to normal oil shipping operations, driven by intensified U.S.-Iran attacks, reported vessel fires near Oman, and mutual targeting of maritime traffic, with the U.S. enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports and Iran asserting authority over navigation in the strait — which handles one-fifth of global oil trade.

Few Tankers Enter Hormuz to Load Oil as LNG Floating Storage Rises, Data Shows

Jul 19, 2026

US-Iran tensions reduced tanker transits through the Strait of Hormuz, leading to increased LNG floating storage in the Gulf. S&P Global data indicates nearly eight days' worth of exports currently waiting inside the region.

reuters

2026-07-19

Few Tankers Enter Hormuz to Load Oil as LNG Floating Storage Rises, Data Shows

Few Tankers Enter Hormuz to Load Oil as LNG Floating Storage Rises, Data Shows

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