September Hormuz LNG Shipments Reach Wartime High, Shipping Data Says

Correction and source note (2 October 2026): An earlier version presented unverified claims about naval convoys, weekly missile and drone attacks, insurance premiums and gas-price effects as established facts. Those claims have been removed. The LNG shipment counts below are estimates attributed to separate vessel-tracking firms, as reported by Reuters; they are not a confirmed government tally.

Liquefied natural gas cargoes leaving the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz reached their highest monthly total since the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran began on 28 February, according to vessel-tracking figures reported by Reuters on 2 October. S&P Global Energy counted 19 outbound LNG cargoes in September 2026; Kpler counted 21. Both put the comparable June figure at 15. The two September estimates differ, so neither should be described as an exact, independently audited total.

What the September counts show

Of the 19 cargoes in S&P Global Energy’s count, 13 came from Qatar and six from the United Arab Emirates, according to Reuters. Kpler’s separate dataset put the number exiting the strait at 21. Kpler had reported on 24 September that 20 LNG tankers had crossed the waterway by 23 September. That earlier, partial-month measure is not directly interchangeable with the final outbound-cargo count: the reporting dates and the units counted differ.

Eric Yep, a senior principal analyst at S&P Global Energy, told Reuters that LNG transits accelerated in the second half of September. He said that if that pace persists, October’s full-month traffic could recover to about a quarter of the pre-war level. That is a conditional projection, not an achieved September share or a forecast that exports will continue rising.

Why the route matters to gas buyers

The same supply worries are visible in refined fuels: oil prices jumped 4% on reports that China halted fuel exports.

The strait is a critical exit route for cargoes loaded in Qatar and the UAE. Reuters reported that, before the war, it carried roughly a fifth of global LNG supply as well as a substantial share of crude oil. An increase from June therefore matters to importers, including Asian utilities, but a higher ship count by itself does not establish lower gas prices, a secure shipping corridor or a return to normal deliveries.

Reuters said ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG showed three LNG vessels carrying cargoes from Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal reappearing outside the strait in late September. The report identified Al Kharaitiyat, Al Gharrafa and Milaha Qatar. It said Milaha Qatar was offloading at Hazira in India. These observations illustrate why physical cargo tracking matters to Indian buyers; they do not prove that every voyage was escorted by naval forces or that all ships followed the same route.

The limits of vessel tracking

Some vessels travelling through Hormuz temporarily switch off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, Reuters reported. A gap in a public tracking signal is not, on its own, proof of a vessel’s exact position, motive or security arrangement. Analysts use later sightings and cargo information to reconstruct some journeys, which helps explain why shipment estimates from different data providers may diverge.

Yep told Reuters that the central question is whether the higher rate of LNG movements can continue through winter. He pointed to the possibility of renewed military escalation and the cost of naval escorts as risks. The available September count describes what trackers observed; it does not establish that security risk has ended. This article does not make a price forecast or investment recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many LNG cargoes crossed the Strait of Hormuz in September 2026?

S&P Global Energy counted 19 outbound LNG cargoes and Kpler counted 21, according to Reuters. Both put the comparable June figure at 15.

Where did the September LNG cargoes come from?

Of the 19 cargoes in S&P Global Energy’s count, 13 came from Qatar and six from the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported.

Are these official LNG shipment figures?

No. They are estimates from separate vessel-tracking firms, as reported by Reuters, not a confirmed government tally. Rising energy costs are also feeding a projected surge in global fossil fuel subsidies.