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. Qatar and the UAE are rerouting damaged LNG tankers via ship-to-ship transfers to keep gas flowing to buyers worldwide, in emergency operations that add ...
As the six-month blockade of Hormuz continues to disrupt global LNG supplies, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are exploring ways to keep liquefied natural gas moving to buyers worldwide. Ship-to-ship transfers (STS) have become a vital lifeline, with three LNG cargoes moved using this method in August alone, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and Vortexa.
The costly and complex process involves keeping LNG at minus 162 degrees Celsius, requiring specialist equipment and trained personnel. The UN-affiliated International Energy Agency estimates that Qatar and the UAE lost around $24 billion (€20.7 billion) in gas sales during the first six months of the Iran war, with the country exporting just 18 LNG cargoes compared to 509 during the same period a year earlier.
QatarEnergy-run Al Rekayyat and GasLog Shanghai were among the vessels that transferred their cargo off the UAE coast, with the LNG then delivered to India. While diplomatic efforts are underway to restore shipping through the strait, the UAE's ability to bypass Hormuz for some oil exports through a pipeline to Fujairah does not extend to LNG.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.