Qatar Temporarily Postpones Sending LNG Carriers Due to Increased Risks in Red Sea

Qatar has decided to temporarily postpone sending liquefied natural gas carriers through the Bab el-Mandeb strait due to increased risks in this waterway as a result of US airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Because the escalation of the situation in the Middle East region resulted in the disruption of the shipment of at least four liquefied natural gas carriers earlier in the week.

Qatar has refrained from sending 5 LNG carriers since last Friday, while 3 other carriers have halted off the coast of Oman. The Joint Task Force advised commercial ships to stay away from the danger zone in the southern Red Sea after the airstrikes on the Houthis, and at least three companies have announced their avoidance of this area.

The Houthi group has not attacked any gas-carrying ships. However, Qatar’s blockade on the waterway sheds light on increased risks in the area after the US-led military strikes. Most gas carriers now avoid using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to transport fuel to Europe, preferring longer routes, while Qatar was one of the few who still used these routes.

The data related to ship tracking from “L.S.I.G” indicates that the carriers “Alghariya”, “Alhawila”, and “Alnaman” were loaded in Ras Laffan, Qatar, with the original plan to head towards the Suez Canal. However, these carriers stopped off the coast of Oman on January 14. As for the carrier “Alrekayat”, it stopped in the Red Sea on January 13.

An informed source told Reuters on Monday that Qatar Petroleum has halted shipping operations across the Red Sea in order to seek security consultation, but its production of liquefied natural gas has not been affected.

The source explained that if the insecurity of crossing the Red Sea continues, Qatar’s energy shipments will divert to travel through the Ras Al Khair route.

(Reuters)