Pakistan seeks gas from Qatar bypassing Hormuz
A tanker carrying Qatari LNG has passed through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the start of hostilities, a move linked to negotiations over additional gas supplies for Pakistan. It remains unclear whether more shipments will follow, given rising prices and the search for alternative sources in Asia.
Petrus
The tanker Al Kharaitiyat left the Ras Laffan terminal in Qatar earlier this month and was tracked in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday. According to tracking systems, the vessel followed a northern route along the Iranian coast through the strait.
This voyage is linked to negotiations between Pakistan and Iran regarding additional deliveries of Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the strait to meet urgent demand. Previously, Pakistan declined to purchase expensive spot-market LNG, hoping instead to secure supplies from the Middle East.
It remains unclear whether more shipments will follow. A single voyage represents only a small fraction of the roughly three daily LNG deliveries that passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the outbreak of hostilities at the end of February.
Since the escalation of the situation, Qatar—one of the world's largest LNG producers—has been unable to export gas from the Persian Gulf. Amid rising prices, Asian buyers have started seeking alternative supply sources.
Since the start of the conflict, two LNG tankers from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s export plant have also passed through the strait. Earlier attempts by Qatar to send cargoes through Hormuz ended with the tankers returning back.