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Global Energy Markets Rethink Strategy as Strait of Hormuz Reopens
Apr. 17, 2026 09:55AM PST
Just as Canadian LNG emerges as a potential lifeline for Europe, Tehran’s abrupt reversal forces buyers to weigh trust against geography.
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In a sudden diplomatic turn, Iran announced on Friday (April 17) that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ending a nearly two-month blockade that had crippled energy shipments from the Persian Gulf.
The decision followed weeks of heightened military tensions and a brief but disruptive conflict that began in February.
Yet even as the trade corridor reopened, skepticism ran deep among European and Asian buyers. U.S. President Trump responded to the announcement by vowing to continue blockading Iranian ports, signaling that Washington does not view the crisis as resolved.
The mixed messages left global energy traders in a state of cautious uncertainty, with spot prices remaining volatile despite the easing of the immediate transit ban.
Recently, European energy buyers, including Germany’s state-owned Uniper, are exploring the potential of purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada’s Pacific coast, weighing the costs of shipping through the Panama Canal to bypass the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
The shutdown of Qatari facilities following the outbreak of the Iran war in February has triggered a global supply shock, driving March benchmark spot prices up by more than 60 percent in Europe and 90 percent in Asia-Pacific markets.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that European buyers have engaged in commercial talks with Ksi Lisims LNG, a proposed export terminal in northwestern British Columbia.
The backers are working to finalize offtake contracts ahead of a final investment decision expected this year. Shell (NYSE:SHEL) and TotalEnergies (NYSE:TTE) have already signed 20-year purchase agreements with the facility.
Historically, Canada’s LNG sector has been strictly geared toward Asian markets. Shipping to Europe from the West Coast requires navigating the Panama Canal, which increases tolls and transit times.
Canada currently lacks East Coast export infrastructure beyond Repsol’s terminal in Saint John. However, the Middle East conflict has altered the risk calculus for buyers seeking stable jurisdictions.
“Since the war in Iran started, there has been especially strong interest in [Ksi Lisims] offtake from LNG buyers all around the world, including from Europe,” a source familiar with the Ksi Lisims project said.
Uniper relied on the US for 96 percent of its LNG imports last year. Now, Ksi Lisims is being viewed as a potential avenue to diversify that supply.
Capitalizing on the supply gap
While Ksi Lisims will take years to build, Canadian officials and executives are pushing to expedite a backlog of domestic projects to capture market share from the US, which has opened eight LNG terminals since 2016 and expects four more by 2028.
In a recent webcast speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, TC Energy CEO François Poirier warned that Canada must move faster.
“Geopolitical events have presented Canada with a generational opportunity,” Poirier said. “But to seize it, Canada must improve competitiveness and attract global capital to build big things again.”
TC Energy operates the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which supplies LNG Canada in Kitimat, British Columbia.
The facility, Canada's first active LNG export terminal, began shipping to Asia last June. The pipeline will also supply the Cedar LNG project, currently under construction alongside the Woodfibre LNG facility near Squamish.
Despite being the world’s fifth-largest producer of natural gas, Canada ranked 19th out of 24 LNG-exporting nations last year.
“The US continues to lead in the race to meet global LNG demand – a race Canada should be winning with its proximity to Asia and abundant low-cost natural gas supply,” Poirier said.
To accelerate development, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has referred several facilities to the federal Major Projects Office. Ksi Lisims was added to the fast-track roster in November, following LNG Canada’s Phase 2 expansion plan in September.Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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