Qatar Resumes LNG Exports Through Hormuz After Months-Long Hiatus

Qatar has resumed LNG exports through the Strait of Hormuz after a months-long hiatus. The Al Marrouna tanker, which loaded in Qatar early last month, sailed through the waterway and is now headed to Pakistan.

This marks the first visible exit of Qatari LNG via the Strait since July, when one of its tankers was attacked. The country's exports had slowed significantly after the incident, but recent movements suggest a resumption of flows.

Gas prices in Europe and Asia have surged to their highest levels in over three years due to disruptions in Qatari exports. A wider resumption of LNG flows would bring relief to price-sensitive South Asian buyers struggling with shortages and power blackouts.

The Al Marrouna's transit through Hormuz is a sign that Qatar may be positioning vessels for a resumption of exports, even after the recent escalation between the US and Iran in the region. However, outbound LNG flows from the Persian Gulf remain below pre-war levels of three shipments a day.