GasLog LNG Carrier Hit in Strait of Hormuz Southern Corridor

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GasLog confirmed on August 3 that its LNG carrier GasLog Shanghai was struck by an unknown projectile while exiting the Strait of Hormuz on July 31, leaving the vessel without propulsion and adrift in Omani waters before stabilizing, with all crew reported safe and accounted for.

The incident marks the second attack on an LNG tanker near the critical waterway in less than a month, raising fresh concerns about the security of alternative southern transit routes that some operators had viewed as lower risk. The vessel had loaded a liquefied natural gas cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal on July 27 and 28, according to ship tracking data from Kepler and LSEG. It was observed inside the strait on July 31 and reappeared outside the waterway on August 2. The vessel is currently positioned off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, just outside the entrance to the strait.

Maritime security firm Marisks said the attack is operationally significant because the southern Omani corridor had been considered by some in the shipping community as a safer alternative to the northern route through Iranian territorial waters. The firm warned that the southern route “should no longer be considered a substantially safer alternative to northern transit,” signaling a potential recalibration of vessel routing strategies for LNG and tanker operators.

The Strait of Hormuz handles nearly one fifth of global LNG shipments, including the majority of cargoes from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Since February, Iran has largely closed the waterway amid hostilities with the United States, causing energy price volatility and broader inflationary pressure across global markets.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two separate maritime incidents off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula on August 1. In the first, a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 11 nautical miles northeast of Lima, Oman, damaging its engine room and leaving the vessel not under command. No casualties or pollution were reported. In the second, the master of a tanker reported a large splash and explosion in close proximity to the vessel about 21 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. No damage was reported in that case.

It was not immediately clear whether the GasLog Shanghai was the vessel referenced in the first UKMTO report, though the location and timing align closely.

On July 31, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that two “non compliant oil tankers were struck and brought to a halt,” while four others changed course and returned to their previous positions. The IRGC claimed the vessels had attempted to transit the strait via an “undeclared route” under United States aerial escort. Iranian media also claimed the GasLog Shanghai was using an unauthorised route and had deactivated its tracking system, though publicly available data could not confirm whether the signal was intentionally switched off or lost due to technical failure. No party has formally claimed responsibility for the specific attack on the GasLog vessel.

The GasLog Shanghai incident follows a projectile strike on the Qatari LNG carrier Al Rekayyat on July 7, which caused a fire in its engine room and prompted crew evacuation. GasLog also confirmed a separate “incident” involving the GasLog Salem while the vessel was in Damietta, Egypt, though details were not disclosed.

QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside of business hours.