QatarEnergy proceeded with the purchase of 33 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States during 2026, in an effort to limit the impact of the disruption to Qatar's exports through the Strait of Hormuz due to the war with Iran, according to four energy and trade industry sources cited by Reuters.
The US LNG cargoes are destined for deliveries to major Asian customers of QatarEnergy, including South Korea, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, and Japan.
The state energy company of Qatar had declared force majeure on LNG shipments following the closure of the strategic maritime route by Iran, an event that trapped approximately 20% of global oil and gas flows exported from Persian Gulf terminals.
A move worth over 1 billion dollars
Purchases of US LNG by QatarEnergy far exceed the four corresponding purchases it made last year, when it attempted to maintain supply to certain customers despite the activation of the force majeure clause.
According to calculations by Reuters, the 33 cargoes correspond to approximately one third of Qatar's monthly LNG exports prior to the onset of the conflict, and their value amounts to approximately 1 billion dollars.
Approximately 80% of Qatar's LNG exports are traditionally directed to Asian markets. The decision of QatarEnergy to seek alternative supplies from the US is interpreted as an effort to maintain its reliability toward customers with whom it holds multi year contracts.
"It was a gesture of goodwill toward some of its most important customers," said one of the sources cited by Reuters, adding that QatarEnergy wanted to show that it remains committed to supporting its clients.
Collaboration with Venture Global
QatarEnergy acquired the cargoes both directly from US LNG producer Venture Global LNG and through purchases from the company's customers, according to the sources.
Venture Global did not comment on the reports.
Of the 33 cargoes, 28 have already been delivered, while the remaining five are en route to South Korea, Taiwan, and India, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
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