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
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