Sanctioned tanker laden with flammable gas runs Hormuz gauntlet
- A liquefied petroleum gas carrier that appears to be laden with Iranian LPG was seen transiting the besieged Strait of Hormuz early on Friday
- Danuta I, sanctioned by the US in February, is likely laden with Iranian origin LPG
- The vessel is the second shadow fleet gas carrier to depart the Middle East Gulf laden with sanctioned cargo, excluding potential dark transits
- Danuta I has served Iran’s LPG sector since before the reimposition of US sanctions during the first Trump administration
An Iran-trading VLGC was transiting eastwards through Hormuz on Friday morning. LPG carries typically carry highly flammable propane and butane, making the already high-risk transit even more dangerous
A VERY large gas carrier sanctioned by US sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Friday, a daring gamble given the highly flammable cargo it is likely carrying.
The 78,000 cu m Danuta I (IMO: 9193721) arrived in the vicinity of the strait in the early hours of Thursday but appeared to turn around before reaching the strait, according to its Automatic Identification System data, which indicated the vessel was laden.
According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence data, Danuta I went dark in the morning of Thursday, but around 0130 hrs UTC, its AIS showed the veteran gas carrier sailing through the besieged strait.
The 2000-built gas carrier, sanctioned last month, is a prolific shipper of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas, having been part of Iran’s shadow fleet* since it was de facto created when sanctions on the Islamic Republic were reimposed during the first Trump administration.
If the vessel is laden as indicated by its draught, it would be carrying roughly 44,000 tonnes of refrigerated, liquefied propane and butane.
While shipped in liquefied form, propane and butane quickly evaporate if they become airborne, at which point they are extremely flammable and pose a risk of a catastrophic explosion.
The operator’s risk calculus may be that given Danuta I’s ties to Iran’s energy exports, it would not be targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. However, at least two shadow fleet vessels have been hit so far since the war broke out on Saturday, including one tanker that was sanctioned by the US over Iran links.
Another VLGC understood by Lloyd’s List to be part of the same fleet as Danuta I passed the Strait of Hormuz on March 1, also laden with Iran-origin LPG, which it received via ship-to-ship transfer from Danuta I in late February, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence and Vortexa data.
The duo are the only two LPG carriers to have crossed the strait with eastward with AIS on, the data showed. It was not immediately clear how many gas carriers had transited the strait with AIS off, if any.
At least three gas carriers were observed on satellite imagery berthed in LPG export terminals in Iran on Monday.
About a third of LPG carrier transits through the Strait of Hormuz in February were by shadow fleet vessels. Like other sectors, gas carrier transits through the strait have plummeted following the war’s outbreak on February 28.
Another sanctioned VLGC, GAFUS (IMO: 9208239) was seen departing the Gulf of Oman southbound on Thursday with its draught indicating it was laden. While its AIS data shows it was anchored off Oman since before the war began, those positions appear to be spoofed, suggesting Gafus too may have loaded a cargo in the Middle East Gulf and transited through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
