Qatari Gas Carriers Resume Shipping Amidst Red Sea Tensions

Data from ship tracking company “L.S.E.J” on Tuesday showed that 4 carriers used to transport Qatari liquefied natural gas shipments have resumed their trips after being halted for several days due to the maritime attacks carried out by the Yemeni Houthi group in the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks have resulted in disrupting trade movement on the main road between East and West, through which approximately 12 percent of global shipping traffic passes.

On Monday, the Houthi group threatened to expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include US warships, following American and British airstrikes on their sites in Yemen.

The data showed that the liquefied natural gas carrier “Al-Rakiyat” has resumed sailing across the Red Sea, heading towards Qatar, after it had stopped on January 13 during its journey in the Red Sea.

The data showed that the ships “Al-Ghareyah, Al-Hawila, and Al-Nu’man” carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas are also moving, but they changed their course to head south despite still indicating the Suez Canal as their destination.

Typically, liquefied natural gas cargoes passing through the Suez Canal are usually destined for Europe.

The three carriers had been parked off the coast of Oman since January 14th.

The data indicated that the estimated arrival time of “Al-Numan” also delayed for more than two weeks until February 4th, from January 19th.

Ships temporarily halt or divert their courses away from the Red Sea, which leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest route for shipping goods from Asia to Europe.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships are among many ships that have had to opt for the longer route around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope instead.

Analysts estimate that taking the Ras Al-Salil road could add approximately 9 days to the 18-day journey from Qatar. While the longer route may result in delivery delays, gas storage levels in Europe are satisfactory.

The Qatari shipments of liquefied natural gas through the canal are estimated to be 14.8 million tons annually, while the American shipments are estimated at 8.8 million tons and the Russian shipments at 3.7 million tons.

On Monday, a senior source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Qatar Energy, the second-largest producer of liquefied natural gas in the world, has stopped sending tankers across the Red Sea despite continued production.

In 2023, Qatar exported over 75 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas, including 14 million tonnes to buyers in Europe and 56.4 million tonnes to Asia, according to data from LSE AG.