Qatar Moves LNG Ships Back to Mideast Ahead of Hormuz Reopening

(Bloomberg) -- Qatar is beginning to bring some of its liquefied natural gas tankers back to the Middle East, as the major supplier prepares to ramp-up exports once the Strait of Hormuz reopens following a US-Iran deal.

At least four empty LNG vessels owned by Qatar recently began heading back toward the region after being idle or heading in a different direction, according to ship-tracking data. Another ship chartered by Qatar is also on its way to the region, the data shows. The tankers are all signaling Ras Laffan — the world’s largest LNG export plant in Qatar — as their next destination.

Four other Qatar-linked tankers are idling in the Gulf of Oman, the data shows, and could try to pass through Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. So far, Qatar has not brought an empty vessel into the gulf since the war began in February.

While the Qatari ships’ return to the region represents only a small share of the country’s roughly 70-tanker fleet, the move is another sign the producer is preparing to ramp up output should Hormuz reopen. Qatar is aiming to restore most of its export capacity within two months, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, and getting vessels to pick up the fuel will be a key part of the restart push.

The move comes as the US and Iran are expected to cement the deal to reopen the waterway as part of efforts to end their war. The interim pact, which is due to be signed on Friday, requires Tehran to ensure the movement of merchant ships through Hormuz, and for the US to lift its own blockade.

The return of LNG from Qatar stands to help ease a global supply crunch. Despite the tentative US-Iran peace agreement, prices for the fuel in Europe and Asia remain higher than pre-war levels. Qatar has been able to export a handful of shipments to buyers in Asia by masking the location of tankers, but those deliveries are still far lower than normal.

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