Qatar's LNG Deliveries Delayed Until December Amid Middle East Conflict

The global liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector is facing significant disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Qatar, a major LNG supplier, has informed Italian energy company Edison that it will not be able to deliver scheduled cargoes until at least early December.

This delay affects 35 total cargoes with a combined 162 billion cubic feet of natural gas, which have been subjected to force majeure declarations from Qatar since the conflict began. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that supply-side disruptions could last well into next year, with short-term supply losses already amounting to almost 5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the liquid form.

Edison was able to replace some of those volumes by bringing in LNG from alternate suppliers at its Adriatic LNG terminal. The conflict has not only affected Qatar's LNG deliveries but also regional oil suppliers such as Iraq and Kuwait, which are largely shut in due to shipping problems in and around the Persian Gulf.