Ghost Fleet: SOGL tanker slips past US blockade to deliver LPG to China

The small Iranian tanker SOGL managed to break through the United States naval blockade on Sept. 1, carrying roughly 500,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas to China. United Against Nuclear Iran, a US-based advocacy group, released covert footage of the vessel during its journey in September. The organization says the incident is part of a pattern involving at least nine similar tankers that have evaded US restrictions since Washington reinstated its port blockade in July.

The SOGL collected its cargo at Assaluyeh Port in late August. It then traveled thousands of miles to the Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits Anchorage, a shipping zone about 70 kilometers off the coast. UANI chartered a supply vessel on Sept. 16 to monitor the area and filmed the SOGL receiving bunkering services while sitting low in the water. Senior analyst Jemima Shelley stated that the group witnessed the vessel receiving fuel and other logistical support in the anchorage.

Shelley noted that the SOGL did not conduct a ship-to-ship transfer in Malaysian waters as is common for ghost fleet operations. Instead, the tanker headed north into the South China Sea. It eventually discharged its Iranian LPG at Xinzhou Port in China. The vessel, identified by IMO number 9208227, was added to the US Treasury Department sanctions list on Oct. 8 for its role in transporting Iranian petroleum products since 2025.

The SOGL has operated under multiple flags, including Comoros and Zimbabwe, according to sanctions records linked to Gravion Maritime Co. Shelley explained that these vessels often turn off their Automatic Identification System transponders and fly false flags to appear stateless. They typically load cargo in Iran, transit the Strait of Hormuz, and perform high-risk ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman before attempting to breach the blockade.

The US blockade was first imposed on April 13 and reinstated on July 14 after diplomatic talks failed. Shelley said the operation has successfully stopped most Iranian crude oil exports, which carry volumes of up to two million barrels per tanker. No Iranian crude has departed successfully since the blockade resumed. However, smaller tankers carrying LPG continue to exploit enforcement challenges, as military forces hesitate to use force on volatile cargo.

China remains the primary market for these shipments, accounting for nearly 100% of Iran’s oil and LPG exports since the start of the conflict. The Malaysian anchorage serves as a critical node for floating storage and transit, helping Iran maintain trade despite economic pressure. Iranian floating storage levels have dropped to between zero and seven million barrels since the blockade was enforced. US Central Command was contacted for comment on the findings.

LPG is a flammable mixture of propane and butane used for heating and industrial production. The risk of transporting it influences how US naval forces enforce the blockade, often preferring to turn vessels around rather than engage directly. The SOGL case illustrates how opportunistic small tankers can still move sanctioned energy from Iran to China through complex maritime routes.

The video documentation provides visual evidence of the logistics involved in these evasions. UANI’s monitoring effort involved tracking the vessel before its arrival in Malaysian waters. The group’s findings suggest that while the blockade has cut off major crude exports, it has not fully halted the flow of lighter hydrocarbons to Asian markets.