Common Questions

What is Kpler and what do they track?: Kpler is a commodity shipping analytics firm that tracks real-time vessel movements using AIS transponder data combined with satellite imagery. Energy markets and investment banks cite it for independent assessments of global maritime trade flows.
How many tankers went through the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire?: Kpler recorded zero oil tankers transiting Hormuz on Ceasefire Day 1 (8 April 2026), then 5 on 9 April and 7 on 10 April, against a pre-war baseline of roughly 135 per day.Source: Kpler / Lowdown
Did the US really halt Iranian oil exports in April 2026?: CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper claimed on 15 April that US forces had 'completely halted' Iranian oil exports. Kpler counted 8 Hormuz transits the same day, and sanctioned Chinese tankers transited unchallenged. The claim was contradicted by the data.Source: Kpler / Lowdown update 69
How does Kpler track ships through the Strait of Hormuz?: Kpler combines AIS transponder broadcasts with satellite and SAR imagery, allowing it to identify vessels that spoof or disable AIS. The method is considered robust against dark-fleet evasion.Source: Kpler
Is Kpler reliable for LNG market data?: Yes. Kpler figures underpin reporting on the 8 Atlantic LNG cargoes diverted to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope in April 2026 and on QatarEnergy's force-majeure declarations. Goldman Sachs and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies cite Kpler in their analysis.Source: Kpler / OIES
What is Kpler and how does it track oil flows?: Kpler is a commodity analytics firm founded in 2014 in Paris that tracks physical flows of oil, gas, LNG, and other commodities using AIS vessel tracking data combined with satellite and SAR imagery, enabling independent verification of trade routes.Source: Kpler
How many tankers did Kpler count through the Strait of Hormuz during the blockade?: Kpler recorded 5 transits on 9 April 2026, 7 on 10 April, and 8 on 15 April — the day CENTCOM claimed a 'complete halt' of Iranian oil exports. The pre-war baseline was roughly 135 vessel transits per day.Source: event
Does Kpler track LNG cargo routing for Europe?: Yes. Kpler tracks LNG cargo routing including Atlantic cargoes from Golden Pass LNG (Texas) to Adriatic LNG (Italy) and terminal-level sendout across European LNG import terminals. Its data complements AGSI+ and Sodir in European gas market analysis.Source: event

Background

Kpler is a commodity shipping and trade analytics firm that tracks physical flows of oil, gas, LNG, coal, and other commodities using AIS transponder data combined with satellite and SAR imagery. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Paris, the company enables independent verification of official claims about trade routes, sanctions compliance, and market disruptions.

Kpler's Hormuz vessel counts became the canonical independent metric for testing official blockade claims during the 2026 Iran war. On 15 April 2026, CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper claimed US forces had 'completely halted' Iranian oil exports; Kpler counted 8 transits that day. The pre-war baseline was roughly 135 vessels per day. Kpler data is cited alongside CENTCOM's own counts by Goldman Sachs, the OIES, and media covering the Hormuz situation.

In European energy markets, Kpler cargo tracking records LNG terminal sendout rates and cargo routing. Its data covers Golden Pass Atlantic cargoes reaching Adriatic LNG in May 2026, TurkStream flow data via ENTSOG cross-reference, and overall LNG import volumes by terminal. Kpler is regularly cited alongside AGSI+ and Sodir as a principal source for EU gas market analysis.

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Tehran's state media dismissed Kpler's zero-transit figure as a temporary lag, but the firm's ongoing low counts kept pressure on Iran's reopening narrative throughout April 2026.

US CENTCOM

Cooper's 15 April 'completely halted' claim was contradicted in hours by Kpler's count of 8 transits; the firm functions as a live fact-checker on operational narrative.

Energy markets

Goldman Sachs and other traders use Kpler data to justify risk premiums; its Hormuz counts drove Brent's 2.8% rebound to $97.42 on 9 April and continuing volatility thereafter.

Energy traders

Kpler data is the primary independent input for Hormuz risk premium pricing; a widening gap between CENTCOM claims and Kpler counts widens uncertainty bands in crude futures.

Shipping industry

Tanker operators follow Kpler's transit counts as validation of their own risk assessments, keeping vessels away from Hormuz even when Iran declares the strait open.

Iranian government

Tehran has not publicly disputed Kpler counts when they show continued transit; the data serves as evidence that the US has not achieved full closure.

European gas buyers

Belgian, Italian, and Polish buyers reading Kpler LNG routing data watched 8 Atlantic cargoes divert to Asia via the Cape, reshaping Q2 2026 supply expectations.

US military (CENTCOM)

CENTCOM's blockade claims have been consistently contradicted by Kpler vessel counts; the discrepancy is politically embarrassing but reflects the limits of enforcing a multi-strait blockade in real time.