At least 20 LNG carriers stuck in Persian Gulf as demand soars - WSJ

[LNG tanker ship]
Sky_Blue/iStock via Getty Images

At least 20 liquefied natural gas carriers - roughly half of the available global fleet available for charter - are trapped in the Persian Gulf [https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/us-israel-iran-war-2026/card/half-of-all-lng-carriers-trapped-in-the-gulf-brokers-say-huDGf773gO12FkvHLd6V], as demand from Asia surges, _The Wall Street Journal_ reported Thursday.

"The situation is dire and will have a lasting impact on the market, regardless of how quickly the conflict ends," GasLog COO Kostas Karathanos told _WSJ_; his company operates 34 gas carriers.

Ship brokers said the 20 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf comprise nearly half of all LNG ships currently available for charter, with rates rising to more than $200K/day from less than $98K/day before the start of the Iran war; the total global fleet is ~800 ships.

Energy traders expect LNG prices to rise by early next week, adding to this week’s 40% rise in Asia and Europe. “The effect on LNG shipping will outlast the conflict for a few months,” Karathanos said.

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