Last November, MDN warned you about delays with LPG (propane) and LNG ships transiting the Panama Canal (see Drought Along Panama Canal Causing Delays in Propane, LNG Exports). According to the Panama Canal Authority (APC), water levels at Gatún Lake were the lowest since at least 1995 due to an extended dry season and lower-than-normal precipitation on the Panama Canal. Gatún Lake is the artificial lake that vessels pass through to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific locks, and it holds the water supply needed to operate the lock systems of the canal. The situation got to the point that the APC began auctioning slots to use the canal (see LNG Vessels Transiting Panama Canal Must Use Auction for Time Slots). Good news! While the drought continues, it’s less worse than it was, and U.S. energy shipments through the Canal have increased once again.
