Strait of Hormuz: Oil tanker fire prompts calls for alternative LNG routes

Tensions in the Persian Gulf have escalated following reports from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that a commercial oil tanker caught fire after striking naval mines within the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to regional instability and the risks associated with the strategic waterway, Oman’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Salim Al Aufi, has called for the identification of alternative liquefied natural gas (LNG) export routes. Speaking at the Gastech conference in Bangkok, Al Aufi urged stakeholders to diversify transport options—potentially moving north or through Oman and Yemen—to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Currently, approximately one-fifth of the global supply of LNG passes through the Strait. While Oman operates an LNG export unit on its eastern coast that does not rely on the Strait, companies like Adnoc Gas are reportedly exploring the creation of new export facilities outside the high-risk zone to ensure economic stability and uninterrupted energy flows.