Mubaraz is an ADNOC Q-Flex LNG carrier that completed the first confirmed loaded LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the Gulf conflict began, reappearing west of India on 27 April after going dark for a month. Its eastward routing to China signals higher LNG prices in Asia versus Europe.Source: Kpler

Is the Strait of Hormuz open to LNG tankers in 2026?

The Mubaraz's 27 April reappearance provides the first confirmed loaded LNG transit through Hormuz since the conflict began, but the vessel's month-long AIS blackout and absence of prior transits suggests the route is not fully normalised.Source: Kpler

Where is the LNG carrier Mubaraz now?

As of 27 April 2026, Mubaraz was west of India, en route to a Chinese terminal with an estimated arrival of 15 May 2026.Source: Kpler

Background

Mubaraz is an LNG carrier in ADNOC's fleet, loaded at ADNOC's Das Island terminal in the UAE in early March 2026. The vessel went dark — ceasing AIS transponder transmissions — on approximately 31 March, then reappeared west of India on 27 April 2026, completing the first confirmed loaded LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict that began two months prior. The cargo is destined for a terminal in China, with an estimated arrival date of 15 May 2026.

Mubaraz is a Q-Flex class LNG carrier — a mid-sized vessel class in the 210,000-216,000 cubic metre capacity range, developed by Qatargas and adopted more broadly across Gulf LNG exporters. The vessel's reappearance is significant for European energy market pricing: JKM, the Japan/Korea Marker for LNG spot prices, stood at USD 16.55/MMBtu against TTF equivalent near USD 14.80 at the time of the transit signal, confirming that Atlantic Basin flexible cargoes are routing east rather than towards Europe.

The Mubaraz transit is a data point in the broader question of whether Hormuz LNG flows can be sustained through active hostilities in the Gulf region. Its month-long dark period and the absence of prior loaded transits since the conflict began suggests that the resumption, while significant, remains episodic rather than a return to normal operational patterns.