Empty LNG Tankers Mass Outside Qatar as Exports Tick Higher
(Bloomberg) -- Empty liquefied natural gas tankers are lining up outside of Qatar’s massive export plant in the Gulf as the supplier seeks to quickly increase production following early progress in US-Iran peace talks.
At least eight empty vessels have congregated off the Ras Laffan facility after most transited through the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Another tanker in the Gulf is on its way to the plant, while two other Qatar-linked ships are approaching the eastern entrance of Hormuz, the data shows.
QatarEnergy operates Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG export facility, but output has been largely halted since Iranian attacks damaged two production trains and the war led to a near-closure of Hormuz. Higher exports depend on safe passage through the strait, with an attack on a cargo ship renewing concerns and leading to one LNG tanker U-turning before entering.
QatarEnergy — which exported nearly a fifth of global LNG supply last year — has been testing equipment and performing necessary maintenance to prepare for a rapid output increase. Several production trains have been operating at reduced capacity so that the plant can deliver shipments to neighbors, but also be able to raise supply when necessary, Bloomberg previously reported.
Qatar plans to return to normal LNG output within weeks from the undamaged parts of its facility, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said in an interview with the Financial Times this week. The 10-day moving average of exports from Ras Laffan have more than doubled in the past month, but they are still about 80% below year-ago levels, ship-data shows.
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