Qatar sent at least four laden LNG carriers outbound through the Strait of Hormuz in the week to 25 September 2026 and moved at least two vessels inbound into the Persian Gulf — the highest transit count in more than two months — according to vessel tracking reported by Bloomberg. One cargo reached India's west coast. Five vessels showed no signal, consistent with the jamming and interference now routine in the Gulf. QatarEnergy, which paused most exports in early July after one of its vessels was attacked, declined to comment. Before the conflict Hormuz carried about a fifth of global LNG supply, roughly three shipments a day; traffic remains far below that. Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi has said undamaged sections of Ras Laffan could return to full operation within a couple of weeks of Hormuz reopening. European and Asian gas prices have reached their highest levels since 2022 as winter demand builds.
Why it matters
This is a supply-side signal, not a price print. Qatari willingness to run laden hulls through the strait ahead of any political settlement says the war-risk premium shippers demand has come down, and that the binding constraint is transit confidence rather than liquefaction capacity. For a buyer on index-linked term supply the asymmetry is uncomfortable: the curve is pricing a closed strait while the physical restart may be a fortnight away, so length added at post-2022 highs carries real mark-to-market risk. For operators and lenders underwriting 2027 supply, Al-Kaabi's two-week figure — not the political timeline — is the number that belongs in the model.
What to watch
Whether weekly transits hold above four laden cargoes, and Ras Laffan restart timing once Hormuz reopens.
Sources
- gCaptain: Qatar Boosts LNG Traffic Via Hormuz as Global Shortage Bites (25 Sep 2026)
- Rigzone: Qatar Ramps Up LNG Shipping via Hormuz (24 Sep 2026)
Vessel-tracking reporting originated with Bloomberg (Stephen Stapczynski).