The LNG carrier MV Al Rekayyat remained disabled off the coast of Oman after being struck by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz overnight on 7 July. The vessel, carrying a cargo of liquefied natural gas, is awaiting salvage after an engine-room fire left it unable to continue its voyage.
According to industry sources and ship-tracking data, firefighting operations were still underway on Wednesday. Two support vessels – a tug and a service vessel – were positioned alongside MV Al Rekayyat near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. All crew members were safely evacuated following the incident.
Although the machinery space was extensively damaged, sources said the LNG cargo tanks remain intact and there is no indication that the containment system has been breached. Industry specialists noted that the risk of an explosion remains low provided the fire is extinguished and the vessel is not exposed to further attacks.
The vessel is owned and managed by Nakilat, Qatar’s state-backed LNG shipping company, and is the first Qatari LNG carrier to be hit since the regional conflict began in late February.
The attack has already affected commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. According to LSEG and Kpler data, the ballast LNG carriers MV Al Ghariya, MV Duhail and MV Al Ruwais, all bound for Ras Laffan to load cargoes, turned back before entering the strait. The Indian-flagged VLCC Lila Vadinar, carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude, also reversed course off the Omani coast.
Meanwhile, Vortexa reported that more than 10 ballast vessels are waiting to load at Ras Laffan, while over 50 QatarEnergy- and ADNOC-controlled vessels remain positioned around the Gulf, India and the Strait of Malacca, with some having kept their AIS transponders switched off for more than 10 days. Despite the heightened security situation, the VLCCs Mercury Hope, Tenjun and Pertamina Pride have successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz with crude cargoes.
