Six months into Hormuz blockade, Qatar and UAE test ways to keep LNG moving
LNG exporters are looking for ways around the disruption in Hormuz, with three Gulf cargoes recently moved using ship-to-ship transfers (STS) as Qatar and UAE exports remain far below pre-war levels.
As the ongoing war continues to disrupt traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, Qatar and the UAE are testing methods to keep liquefied natural gas (LNG) flowing to global buyers. In an emergency operation that costs over $1 million per transfer and adds 35 hours of extra sailing time, the nations are rerouting damaged LNG tankers via ship-to-ship transfers.
Three such transfers were documented in August, involving LNG cargoes loaded in Qatar and the UAE being transferred between vessels off Oman and the UAE before reaching buyers in Asia. Two of the three transfers involved previously damaged vessels. Ship-to-ship LNG transfers are technically complex and rarely used outside emergencies due to the specialist cryogenic equipment, fenders, tugboats, and trained personnel required.
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