QatarEnergy Extends Force Majeure on LNG Deliveries Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Europe and Asia, citing ongoing disruptions in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Italian utility Edison reported that QatarEnergy would be unable to deliver five more LNG cargoes scheduled between late September and early November, adding to the 29 cargoes affected since April.

This represents around 3.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas under Edison's contract, although they have already replaced 21 of those cargoes with equivalent supplies from other sources. Suppliers in Pakistan and Bangladesh will continue to face disruptions into October and beyond, respectively.

According to Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a global research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, the Strait of Hormuz carried around one-fifth of global LNG trade before the Iran war. With limited alternatives for exporting gas, QatarEnergy expects to restore output from its 12 undamaged production units within about two months once the strait is secure.