Qatar is ramping up liquefied natural gas exports as prices surge
At least 20 shipments have passed through the Strait of Hormuz to other destinations since early September, with one tanker now sailing toward Poland.
Qatar is accelerating liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments as global prices rise and inventories dwindle ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter, according to recent reports. At least 20 vessels have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz since early September, with one recently heading towards Poland via the Red Sea, as noted by Bloomberg.
This surge in LNG exports is aimed at curbing consumer price hikes and mitigating the contraction of Qatar's economy, which the IMF predicts will shrink by 15.6% this year. The precise route of these shipments remains unclear: Qatar's prime minister revealed in early September that a few vessels had obtained passage through Iran during the initial six months of the war.
However, Doha has also embraced the "Hormuz shuttle" tactic employed by Gulf crude exporters. Using the Al Rayyan, one of Qatar's oldest LNG tankers as an example, Bloomberg documented the vessel transferring its cargo to another ship in the Gulf of Oman before returning to Ras Laffan to refill. This complex process involves cryogenic hoses to handle gas cooled to -162°C (-260°F).
Despite the challenges, QatarEnergy has managed to resume LNG exports to around one-third of pre-war levels, as reported by Bloomberg.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
