Qatar successfully navigated a liquefied natural gas tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such occurrence since the beginning of the war with Iran.
According to a Bloomberg report from May 10, the LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat, loaded in Qatar at the Ras Laffan export terminal, successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is located in the Gulf of Oman. The ship’s destination is reported to be Pakistan. It is likely that the tanker traveled the northern route along the coast of Iran, which was agreed with Tehran.
Since the start of the conflict, which involves the US and Israel, the Strait of Hormuz has remained blocked, leading to supply issues with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) on global markets and causing a sharp rise in fuel prices. For Asian countries like Pakistan, this meant severe difficulties with energy supplies.
Qatar has made numerous attempts to export LNG through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in late February, but all attempts ended in failure. This is the first successful voyage, indicating potential changes in regional transport corridors.
Global oil reserves are also decreasing due to supply issues from the Persian Gulf, and it is forecasted that by September the oil market may face a critical situation. The most vulnerable to this situation are Asian countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Philippines, while Europe is trying to strengthen its position by purchasing record volumes of Russian LNG.
