Reuters reports, according to shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier “Al Kharaitiyat” departed from Qatar’s Ras Laffan Port on Saturday local time, heading for Pakistan’s Port Qasim, and is currently sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz. If it passes through successfully, this will be the first Qatari LNG carrier to traverse the strait since the US-Iran conflict.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, this batch of LNG is being sold by Qatar to Pakistan under an intergovernmental agreement. Sources say Iran has approved this shipment, aiming to help build trust with Qatar and Pakistan. A source familiar with the agreement told Reuters that Pakistan had been negotiating with Iran to allow a limited number of LNG carriers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, in order to alleviate Islamabad’s increasingly urgent natural gas shortage. The source added that Iran agreed to provide assistance, and both sides are coordinating the safe passage of the first carrier. The gas carried on this vessel is supplied under an agreement between Pakistan and its main LNG supplier, Qatar.
LSEG data shows that the “Al Kharaitiyat” is managed by Qatar’s Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd, flies the flag of the Marshall Islands, and has a cargo capacity of 211,986 cubic meters.
Previously, on April 6, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard intercepted two Qatari LNG carriers heading towards the Strait of Hormuz — the “Al Daayen” and the “Rasheeda.” At the time, a source revealed that the Revolutionary Guard ordered both vessels to hold their positions without any explanation. The smooth passage of the “Al Kharaitiyat” this time marks a significant turning point in the shipping situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest LNG exporter. Recent attacks by Iran have paralyzed approximately 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity. Repair work is expected to idle fuel production capacity of 12.8 million tons per year for three to five years, which will have a profound impact on the global LNG market supply pattern.
