Panama Canal undertakes triple northbound LNG transit


News from Panama / Monday, February 1st, 2021

Three LNG carriers started northbound transits of the Panama Canal yesterday, with two completing the passage in the same day, as demand for Pacific-Atlantic crossings ticks higher.

The Panama Canal offers a maximum of two LNG carrier transits each day, although it has on occasion accommodated up to four daily transits. But only on a few occasions has the canal undertaken three northbound crossings in a single day.

Demand for northbound transit at Panama — primarily from empty carriers returning to load at US liquefaction projects — has held strong so far in January, while southbound transits have slowed as laden carriers heading to northeast Asia have changed routes to sail via the Suez Canal.

The Canal Authority offers the two daily bookable LNG transits as either both northbound, or one each way, suggesting a greater chance of attaining a northbound crossing than a southbound. This may explain why laden carriers from the US are heading to northeast Asia via Suez, but returning empty carriers are continuing to sail via Panama.

But the high volume of returning LNG tonnage has led to significant queues and delays south of the canal for LNG carriers awaiting transit. On 1-25 January, carriers awaiting northbound passage waited an average of three days, with some waiting as many as eight. And there are two carriers south of the waterway that have already waited for 10-11 days.

In comparison, the average wait for a southbound transit over the same period has fallen to around 2.5 days, with a maximum wait of six days.

That said, as fog at US Gulf coast liquefaction facilities has disrupted loadings in recent days, minor delays at Panama for returning vessels may have had limited impact on loading schedules.

January southbound (laden) transits
Name Arrival at Panama Transit day Delay (days)
Arwa Spirit* 30 Dec 02 Jan 3
Diamond Gas Orchid 03 Jan 05 Jan 2
SCF La Perouse* 04 Jan 05 Jan 1
SM Eagle* 03 Jan 06 Jan 3
Marvel Crane* 01 Jan 07 Jan 6
Gaslog Geneva 08 Jan 10 Jan 2
Barcelona Knutsen* 08 Jan 11 Jan 3
K. Mugungwha 11 Jan 12 Jan 1
Gaslog Seattle 11 Jan 13 Jan 2
Diamond Gas Sakura 15 Jan 16 Jan 1
LNG Juno 14 Jan 17 Jan 3
Hyundai Peacepia 16 Jan 21 Jan 5
La Seine 17 Jan 23 Jan 6
Macoma 24 Jan 24 Jan 0
Marvel Eagle 26 Jan 26 Jan 0
Hyundai Princepia 22 Jan Awaiting transit 4
Sevilla Knutsen 25 Jan Awaiting transit 1
Point Fortin 23 Jan Awaiting transit 3
*= late transit, completed following day
January northbound (empty) transits
Name Arrival at Panama Transit day Delay (days)
Maran Gas Hydra 30 Dec 01 Jan 2
Golar Snow 30 Dec 02 Jan 3
Diamond Gas Sakura 02 Jan 03 Jan 1
Gaslog Saratoga 30 Dec 05 Jan 6
Hyundai Peacepia 05 Jan 06 Jan 1
LNG Fukurokuju 07 Jan 07 Jan 0
Rioja Knutsen 07 Jan 09 Jan 2
Gaslog Georgetown 01 Jan 09 Jan 8
Maran Gas Spetses 08 Jan 10 Jan 2
Pan Asia 09 Jan 11 Jan 2
Global Energy 09 Jan 12 Jan 3
Hyundai Princepia 12 Jan 13 Jan 1
Macoma 13 Jan 14 Jan 1
Maria Energy 07 Jan 15 Jan 8
Energy Pacific 09 Jan 16 Jan 7
Megara 17 Jan 17 Jan 0
Marvel Heron 18 Jan 18 Jan 0
Flex Artemis 16 Jan 18 Jan 2
Marvel Hawk 11 Jan 19 Jan 8
Diamond Gas Rose 17 Jan 19 Jan 2
Golar Maria 14 Jan 21 Jan 7
SK Resolute 22 Jan 22 Jan 0
Energy Innovator 16 Jan 22 Jan 6
Gaslog Greece 23 Jan 23 Jan 0
Hoegh Galleon 19 Jan 24 Jan 5
SCF Mitre 25 Jan 25 Jan 0
Stena Crystal Sky 19 Jan 25 Jan 6
Minerva Psara* 25 Jan 25 Jan 0
Flex Courageous 25 Jan 26 Jan 1
Energy Atlantic 24 Jan Awaiting transit 2
SM Seahawk 16 Jan Awaiting transit 10
Maran Gas Delphi 17 Jan Awaiting transit 11
*= late transit, completed following day

 

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