QatarEnergy Cuts Deliveries to Italy Amid Ongoing Damage at Ras Laffan

QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure notice to Italian energy company Edison, cancelling six LNG deliveries from early April to early December. The move affects 35 LNG cargoes, equivalent to 4.6 billion cubic metres of gas.

This is the fourth time this year that QatarEnergy has invoked the force majeure clause in its contract with Edison, which was signed in 2009 to supply 6.4 bcm of gas annually to Italy. In the first quarter of this year, Italy received only 1.6 bcm of LNG from Qatar.

QatarEnergy CEO Saad Al-Kaabi stated that production at Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG export hub, was 'very minute' due to damage caused by Iranian attacks in March. The company is exploring alternative gas sources for Edison's customers, and has ruled out building pipelines to transport its LNG through neighbouring countries.