Ship-tracking data on Wednesday showed the LNG carrier Mraweh, managed by ADNOC Logistics & Services and chartered by ADNOC Gas, had reappeared loaded off Indonesia after losing its automatic identification signal on April 19. Its position indicated that the vessel had crossed the strait after leaving the Gulf, making it the second ADNOC-managed LNG tanker to do so since hostilities disrupted traffic through the waterway.
The movement follows the earlier passage of Mubaraz, another ADNOC-linked LNG carrier, which appeared near India after a similar gap in tracking. Both tankers are part of an older fleet of 137,000-cubic-metre vessels that have served ADNOC’s Das Island LNG export operations, a facility with annual liquefaction capacity of about 6 million tonnes.
The crossing is significant because Hormuz remains the main route for LNG exports from the UAE and Qatar. About 96 per cent of the UAE’s LNG exports and 93 per cent of Qatar’s LNG exports normally move through the strait, together representing a major share of global LNG trade. The waterway also carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, with Asia receiving the bulk of shipments.
The Mraweh’s voyage suggests that ADNOC and its maritime partners are testing narrow operating windows through a high-risk corridor rather than resuming normal shipping. Several Gulf-linked vessels have switched off tracking systems, delayed sailings, anchored near Fujairah or used indirect routing to reduce exposure. Such steps are common during conflict, though they also make cargo verification harder and increase uncertainty for buyers, insurers and port authorities.
Other ADNOC-linked vessels, including Al Hamra, Umm Al Ashtan and Marigold, have also been watched closely by energy traders because any confirmed onward movement would indicate whether Abu Dhabi can keep LNG supply flowing to Asian customers. ADNOC Gas has already adjusted LNG and export-linked liquids production during the disruption, while maintaining that core facilities remain safe.
The wider market impact goes beyond a single tanker. LNG buyers in Asia are monitoring Gulf cargoes closely as energy security concerns intensify across Japan, South Korea, China, India and Southeast Asia. Any prolonged interruption at Hormuz would tighten prompt LNG availability, lift shipping and insurance costs, and add pressure to utilities preparing for summer power demand.
Indonesia’s waters as the apparent location of Mraweh are also commercially notable. Southeast Asia has become a more active LNG demand centre as domestic gas production declines in several countries and power systems rely more heavily on imported fuel. A loaded ADNOC tanker appearing near the region indicates that Gulf cargoes are still reaching Asian markets, even if the trade is slower, less transparent and more expensive.
War-risk premiums, vessel availability and crew safety now sit alongside commodity prices as decisive factors for LNG trade. Maritime insurers have raised scrutiny of voyages linked to the Gulf, and shipowners are weighing contractual obligations against the risk of seizure, attack or accidental damage. LNG carriers are specialised assets, and any loss of fleet flexibility can quickly affect supply chains.
ADNOC’s position carries additional weight because the company is seeking to expand its role in global gas markets. Its existing LNG exports from Das Island are relatively modest compared with Qatar’s output, but Abu Dhabi has been investing in gas processing, shipping capacity and long-term LNG growth. Reliable access through Hormuz remains central to that strategy unless alternative export infrastructure becomes viable.
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