Greek LNG Ship Safely Clears Hormuz After Maritime Incident
A Greek-owned liquefied natural gas carrier was involved in an “incident” in the Strait of Hormuz at the end of last week while exiting the waterway, the owner company said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.
The vessel is stable, and the crew is safe, Gas Log said, without specifying the nature of the incident.
“Gas Log LNG Services immediately activated their emergency plan, notified all relevant authorities, and is currently assessing the condition of the vessel and assure the safety of our people,” the Greek shipper said.
The Gas Log Shanghai had loaded liquefied gas in Qatar in late July and began its journey out of the Persian Gulf at the end of last week. As of late Sunday, the vessel was detected just outside the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters said, citing ship-tracking data.
The publication noted in its report that on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations outlet had reported two incidents involving vessels off the coast of Oman. In one of the incidents, a tanker was “struck by an unknown projectile.” There was also another report about an incident involving a tanker in the waterway.
These reports suggest the Strait of Hormuz is still a risky place to try and cross, yet last week Bloomberg reported that QatarEnergy had successfully sent an LNG carrier through the chokepoint. That was three weeks after the Qatarai company saw one of its tankers struck in the strait.
QatarEnergy also reportedly bought 33 LNG cargoes in what appears to be a sign that the liquefied gas export major was seeking to ramp up its sales despite the force majeure that is still in effect for its Ras Laffan gas hub. Back in June, QatarEnergy said it could restore 50% of production at the facility within a month.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
A Greek-owned liquefied natural gas carrier was involved in an “incident” in the Strait of Hormuz at the end of last week while exiting the waterway, the owner company said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.
The vessel is stable, and the crew is safe, Gas Log said, without specifying the nature of the incident.
“Gas Log LNG Services immediately activated their emergency plan, notified all relevant authorities, and is currently assessing the condition of the vessel and assure the safety of our people,” the Greek shipper said.
The Gas Log Shanghai had loaded liquefied gas in Qatar in late July and began its journey out of the Persian Gulf at the end of last week. As of late Sunday, the vessel was detected just outside the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters said, citing ship-tracking data.
The publication noted in its report that on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations outlet had reported two incidents involving vessels off the coast of Oman. In one of the incidents, a tanker was “struck by an unknown projectile.” There was also another report about an incident involving a tanker in the waterway.
These reports suggest the Strait of Hormuz is still a risky place to try and cross, yet last week Bloomberg reported that QatarEnergy had successfully sent an LNG carrier through the chokepoint. That was three weeks after the Qatarai company saw one of its tankers struck in the strait.
QatarEnergy also reportedly bought 33 LNG cargoes in what appears to be a sign that the liquefied gas export major was seeking to ramp up its sales despite the force majeure that is still in effect for its Ras Laffan gas hub. Back in June, QatarEnergy said it could restore 50% of production at the facility within a month.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
Dark Tanker Transits Surge at Bab el-Mandeb as Houthi Threat Persists
Two tankers that had loaded Saudi crude at the Red Sea port of Yanbu have likely exited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in southern direction with their transponders off, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing vessel-tracking data it is monitoring.
The Greece-owned Lesvos tanker of the Suezmax size and the supertanker Desh Vaibhav, flying the Indian flag, were last transmitting near the Yanbu port on Saturday, before re-appearing on the AIS monitoring systems offshore southern Oman on Monday, according to the data.
Satellite images at the port of Yanbu showed at least five tankers berthed there on Saturday, which may have been the busiest day at the Saudi port on the Red Sea since the Houthis threatened to disrupt Saudi oil exports two weeks ago.
Since the Houthis announced they would attempt to choke off Saudi shipments, Saudi Arabia has re-routed part of its exports northward to Egypt and the Suez Canal while the other vessels have increasingly gone dark while transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the south.
Last week, six tankers turned away in the Arabian Sea from Bab el-Mandeb after the Houthi threats to Saudi shipping and actual attacks on tankers prompted Saudi Arabia to re-route its crude oil exports, again, to Egypt.
The tankers were indicating destinations such as either Gibraltar or the South African ports of Durban or Algoa Bay, all of which are major refueling hubs, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg at the end of last week.
Separately, more than half a dozen empty supertankers were en route to Egypt's Sidi Kerir port last week to pick up Saudi crude, as the world's top crude oil exporter is re-routing – again – its export tactics to avoid the new threat at Bab el-Mandeb.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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