Qatar Extends LNG Supply Disruption Notices to Pakistan, Other Buyers
- Qatar Energy has extended notices that it cannot deliver LNG cargoes to some customers while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
- Buyers in Pakistan and Bangladesh have reportedly been informed that the notices will remain in effect until November.
- Italian utility Edison says it does not expect to receive Qatari LNG cargoes until early December.
Qatar Energy has extended force majeure notices to some liquefied natural gas buyers, including customers in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt shipments.
Trading sources said the notices to Asian clients had been extended until November. Italian utility Edison, one of QatarEnergy’s largest European customers, said on Monday that it would not receive LNG cargoes until the beginning of December.
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The notice to Edison was first issued in April after supply disruptions linked to the US-Iran war. Force majeure is a contractual provision invoked when circumstances beyond a supplier’s control prevent it from meeting delivery obligations. QatarEnergy did not immediately comment on the latest extensions.
Qatar’s LNG exports have fallen sharply during the conflict. Figures compiled at the end of August put the decline at 96%. Shipment data showed Qatar had exported 18 LNG cargoes by the end of August, compared with 509 during the same period last year.
The disruption comes as the winter heating season approaches. European buyers seeking to replenish gas storage before the coldest months may face greater competition for available LNG supplies.
