Qatar has extended force majeure on liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to Asia and Europe by another month as disruptions continue to hamper energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
State-owned QatarEnergy this week notified Pakistan and Bangladesh that LNG shipment cancellations would run through November, according to people familiar with the matter. At least one Indian buyer was also told the measure would remain in place, according to two other people, while Italy’s Edison said its deliveries would remain suspended until early December.
QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has been updating LNG customers on the force majeure and cancelling scheduled deliveries roughly once a month since the Iran war began.
While Qatar has been able to increase shipments through the waterway this month, flows remain far below prewar levels. Iran said recently that it would not soften its conditions for reopening Hormuz, while President Donald Trump sent mixed signals about his willingness to reach a deal.
The disruption threatens to keep flows constrained through a waterway that handled about a fifth of global LNG supply last year, with a peace deal between the US and Iran still elusive. The squeeze has pushed LNG prices in Europe and Asia to roughly their highest levels since late 2022, threatening to make utility bills more expensive during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
Qatar has been operating its Ras Laffan LNG export facility at reduced capacity after it was attacked and damaged in March. The plant is being kept ready for a rapid increase in output if Hormuz reopens.
