Tanker-tracking data from Kpler reveals a stark contraction in U.S. shipments to India, which plummeted 60.7% in September to 0.34 million tons. Conversely, Oman capitalized on the vacuum, increasing its exports to the region by 11.6% to reach 0.59 million tons. Nigeria secured the second position with 0.35 million tons, while the United Arab Emirates rounded out the top four with a 27.3% monthly surge.

The volatility in supply routes stems from arbitrage economics that favor European buyers desperate to fill gas storage sites before winter. Despite the logistical upheaval and a significant rise in tender award prices—climbing from $16.8–18.8 per MMBtu earlier this year to $26.4/MMBtu in September—India’s demand has remained resilient. Wood Mackenzie analysts credit this stability to a tiered management strategy that shielded residential city gas distribution while sacrificing industrial and refinery sectors to maintain national energy security.