Qatar Asks LNG Tankers to Disable Transponders at Ras Laffan After Strikes on Terminal

Qatar has requested LNG vessels near its Ras Laffan LNG port to switch off their transponders as part of safety measures at the key export terminal, anonymous sources with knowledge of the plan told Bloomberg on Tuesday. The request comes after Iranian drone and missile strikes damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex, the world’s single largest LNG liquefaction facility.

QatarEnergy declared force majeure for up to five years on some long-term LNG contracts and advised that full capacity at Ras Laffan could take up to five years to restore.

At least nine LNG tankers anchored near Qatar stopped sending signals via their Automatic Identification System from May 11, according to Bloomberg vessel-tracking data. The waters around Qatar have seen increased security threats since the war began on February 28. A tanker laden with LNG from Qatar successfully passed the Strait of Hormuz this weekend.

This weekend’s transit was the first such transit since February 28. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has trapped about 20% of daily global LNG flows, mostly those previously shipping out of Qatar and part of the UAE’s LNG flows. Commercial shipping and maritime security activity around the Strait of Hormuz are increasingly shifting into dark or emissions-controlled conditions, Windward said on Monday.

Before the war Qatar was the world’s second-largest LNG exporter. com reported. QatarEnergy’s force majeure declaration covers some but not necessarily all long-term contracts.

Restoration timelines of up to five years point to extensive damage from the Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure in the region. Crude tankers have also successfully exited the Strait in recent days after going dark, according to shipping data. The successful LNG transit this weekend follows those crude movements and marks a tentative reopening for Qatar’s exports.