Panama Canal Hits Record LNG Transit

Three LNG vessels passed through the Panama Canal April 17, the first time that so many have done so, although two in a day is common. The Clean Ocean, the Gaslog Gibraltar and Gaslog Hong Kong arrived at the canal from the Pacific Ocean side and left on the Atlantic side, the Panama Canal Authority said. The tankers were presumably returning empty for refilling.

The canal operating company said that the development “marks a significant milestone for the Panama Canal and its service of the burgeoning LNG segment – which began transiting the waterway for the first time following the inauguration of the expanded canal. The segment has seen steady growth in the nearly two years since.” 

The canal offers one of the seven Neopanamax reservation slots available each day to LNG shippers specifically, which average five transits/week. However, during periods of high seasonal demand, the waterway has transited two vessels in one day on 14 separate occasions. In this fiscal year, as of March 2018, the canal has locked 134 LNG transits.

The operator said it remains committed to meeting the needs of its LNG-carrying customers and taking the necessary steps to increase capacity commensurate with demand, suggesting that even more could be shipped.