Iran war: Ships with Qatar LNG attempt first Hormuz exit since conflict started

Two tankers carrying liquefied natural gas from Qatar appear to be heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, and an exit from the Persian Gulf would mark the first export to buyers outside of the region since the war started.

The Al Daayen and Rasheeda, which each loaded LNG from Qatar’s export plant in late-February, are moving eastward toward the opening of the strait near Oman, according to ship-tracking data. The vessels had been idling in the Gulf as the war escalated and Hormuz remained largely closed to shipping.

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The Al Daayen is signaling China, the data shows, Qatar’s largest LNG buyer. Still, destinations are not final and vessels may change their indicated port of call at any time. So far, no loaded LNG tanker have passed through Hormuz since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran in late February.

The effective closure of the key waterway near Iran and the Arabian Peninsula has choked off energy supplies to global markets, disrupting about a fifth of the world’s supply of LNG. A tanker, which appeared to not be carrying a shipment, passed through the strait over the weekend.

Qatar has delivered two LNG shipments to Kuwait over the past few weeks, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Kpler. These supplies were likely loading from Qatar’s storage tanks, and don’t require traversing Hormuz.

Tracking vessel movements around the Persian Gulf can be an inexact science because of the potential for electronic interference with ship signals and the intentional disablement of transponders by pilots sailing through risky zones. Seapeak manages Al Daayen, and Nakilat owns Rasheeda, according to ship-database Equasis. Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment.

Also read: Qatar’s LNG tankers idle across Asia as export plant stays shut

The potential pass through Hormuz may be a shot in the arm for Qatar, which supplied nearly a fifth of all LNG last year, even as the country’s Ras Laffan export plant has been shut for over a month due to Iranian attacks. This could allow Qatar to send more shipments that are already loaded and waiting within the Persian Gulf, or offload fuel from storage.

QatarEnergy, which operates Ras Laffan — the world’s largest LNG export plant — didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iran has choked off transit through the waterway since US and Israeli strikes began, while allowing passage to its own ships or those it’s approved. So far, no known Qatar-linked energy vessels have gone through the strait. In recent days, Tehran appears to have permitted the passage of vessels associated with countries seen as close to the US, including from France and Japan.