LNG tankers mass at Qatar’s Ras Laffan as energy exports ramp up

LNG tankers mass at Qatar's Ras Laffan as energy exports ramp up
LNG tankers mass at Qatar's Ras Laffan as energy exports ramp up

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Empty liquefied natural gas carriers are converging on Qatar’s Ras Laffan export hub, marking the clearest sign yet that the Gulf state’s energy sector is clawing back from months of disruption caused by the Iran war. At least eight empty vessels have gathered off the facility, most having transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, according to Bloomberg. energyconnects.com tradewindsnews.com

The buildup of tankers comes as QatarEnergy issued a tender to sell crude oil for July-to-August loading — likely its first since the U.S.-Iran conflict erupted in late February — offering al-Shaheen, Marine Qatar, and Marine Land grades via ship-to-ship transfer between Fujairah and Sohar, according to Reuters. The tender closes on June 29. dawn.com reuters.com

Strait of Hormuz Reopens

Two Qatari LNG tankers, the Bu Samra and Patris, transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after being stranded in the Gulf for months, Anadolu Agency reported. Their passage followed the signing of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities. Maritime data provider Kpler recorded 31 verified crossings by commercial and energy-linked vessels on June 23. dailysabah.com aa.com.tr

The 10-day moving average of exports from Ras Laffan has more than doubled in the past month, though volumes remain roughly 80% below year-ago levels. QatarEnergy has told buyers it expects to reach about 50% of capacity within a month of safe passage being restored and 80% within two months. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times last week that the country would resume normal LNG production “within a few weeks”. reuters.com unn.ua energyconnects.com dailysabah.com

Barzan Explosion Clouds Outlook

The recovery effort has been complicated by a deadly explosion at the Barzan gas supply facility on the evening of June 21 that killed 13 workers — 12 Indian nationals and one Pakistani — and injured 66 others. Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi ruled out sabotage, calling it a “technical accident” that occurred just two days after operations resumed at the plant following months of maintenance-related shutdowns. aljazeera.com bbc.com en.wikipedia.org

Al-Kaabi said the blast would not affect Qatar’s LNG exports. Industry outlet Oil and Gas Middle East reported that Qatar still expects to restore all available LNG production by October despite the incident. youtube.com oilandgasmiddleeast.com

A Long Road Back

The broader recovery follows Iranian drone strikes on Ras Laffan in late February that knocked out 17% of Qatar’s LNG capacity — roughly 12.8 million tons per year — with some damaged trains requiring up to five years to repair. QatarEnergy declared force majeure on long-term contracts to buyers in Europe and Asia, and European gas benchmark prices surged nearly 50% when production was first halted. The crude tender and tanker movements suggest the undamaged portions of Qatar’s vast gas infrastructure are now returning to service, even as the scars of war linger over the world’s largest LNG export complex. reuters.com aljazeera.com aljazeera.com

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