LNG

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz resumes, with 22 Japan-linked ships, including six large crude oil tankers and several LNG carriers, transited the strait to exit between July 7 and 9, transport minister Yasushi Kaneko said at a news conference in Tokyo. The number of Japan-flagged vessels in the Gulf has fallen from 45 to just four, with shipowners declining to comment on safety precautions for the crew.

Five crude oil and LNG tankers have turned back from attempts to transit the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the area. As tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran continue, maritime authorities raised the risk of transiting Hormuz to “severe.”

LNG as a marine fuel is gaining traction, notably in the very large crude carrier (VLCC) segment where 21 vessels are in service and 14 on order, Lloyds Register finds. Four of these VLCCs were built by Hanwha Ocean, as part of the ‘Neptune project’, on behalf of Advantage Tankers.