QatarEnergy Extends LNG Cancellations Amid Ongoing Hormuz Disruptions

QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to customers in Europe and Asia, citing ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The company first declared force majeure in March and has since renewed it month by month as the situation persists.

Italian utility Edison reported that QatarEnergy would be unable to deliver five additional LNG cargoes scheduled between late September and early November, bringing the total affected under its contract to 29. This represents around 3.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with Edison having already replaced 21 of those cargoes.

QatarEnergy has informed buyers in Pakistan that cancellations will continue into October, while supplies to Bangladesh will remain affected beyond September. Other European buyers have also started receiving similar notices.

According to Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a global research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, the situation is unlikely to improve soon. 'Absent any political resolution or one of the main stakeholders blinking first, we are still likely to be there for quite some time,' she said.

Corbeau noted that QatarEnergy has no reliable date for normal exports to resume and is extending force majeure month by month as a result. She also mentioned that other exporters have filled part of the gap left by Qatari LNG, but replacement supplies have not covered the entire shortfall.