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A strait blocked, a bridge crossed: Liquified Natural Gas and the Strait of Hormuz

2026-04-23 · 16:15 UTC ·Decarbonize! ·2 min read

Brief

Decarbonize! (presentation) examines how Strait of Hormuz disruptions threaten global LNG supplies: 112 bcm transited the Strait in 2025 (~20% of global trade), and a March 2026 Iranian strike on Qatar’s liquefaction plant removed ~17% of Qatar’s export capacity with repairs likely taking 3–5 years, meaning prolonged market disruption even if passage reopens.

Why it matters

112 bcm of LNG transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025 — roughly 20% of global seaborne LNG — so a Strait closure would disrupt LNG trade at a scale comparable to the roughly 20% of crude oil shipments typically affected.

Key details

  • An Iranian strike on Qatar’s largest gas liquefaction facility damaged capacity equivalent to about 17% of Qatar’s exports; QatarEnergy estimated repairs could take three to five years (Reuters, 2026-03-19).
  • The Strait’s status fluctuated during the recording (announced open, then closed), highlighting recurring interruption risk; even if transit resumes, LNG flows may not return to normal for years due to physical damage and capacity loss.
Cleaned source text

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has famously blocked the shipment of about 20% of the world’s seaborn oil. What’s talked about less is the blockage of liquified natural gas or LNG.

The total volume of LNG transiting the Strait was just over 112 bcm in 2025, almost 20% of global LNG trade. So blocking the Strait of Hormuz is having a similar impact on the global LNG market as it is having on the oil market.

As I’m recording this, there has already been an announcement that the Strait is open and a day later that it’s closed. And when if it does open, a crisis like this could easily happen in the future. That’s part of the problem with the global trade in oil and gas; it can be blocked.

And even once the Strait is cleared, shipments of LNG might not return to normal for years because of an Iranian strike on the world’s largest gas liquification facility in Qatar. It’s estimated that they’ve lost 17% of their export capacity, and it will take years to repair.

So can anything positive come out of this crisis?

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Timestamp

Straight of Hormuz 0:00

LNG 1:19

US/Iran War 2:55

Russian War, EU response 4:09

China and fossil gas 5:45

Time to cross the bridge 8:31

Channel: Decarbonize!

Published: 2026-04-23

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgKSOJlMapw