Qatar has begun bringing some of its liquefied natural gas tankers back toward the Middle East in preparation for ramping up exports once the Strait of Hormuz reopens under a US-Iran deal. This comes after the strait, a critical waterway for up to 84% of petroleum exports to Asian markets, began to open following a peace agreement. Prior to this, Qatar had not brought an empty vessel into the Persian Gulf since the war began in February.
Ship-tracking data indicates that at least four empty LNG vessels owned by Qatar recently started heading back to the region after being idle or sailing in a different direction. Additionally, another Qatar-chartered ship is en route. All these tankers are signaling Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG export plant in Qatar, as their next destination. There are also a dozen other Qatar-linked tankers idling in the Gulf of Oman that could soon pass through Hormuz into the Persian Gulf.
This movement suggests Qatar is ready to restart its LNG exports, which were significantly impacted after Iranian missile strikes on Ras Laffan. These strikes, in mid-March, damaged parts of the facility, wiping out 17% of Qatar's LNG capacity, specifically sidelining 12.8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of production from two of its 14 LNG trains. Repairing this damaged capacity is expected to take three to five years. Qatar had halted production and exports in early March 2026 due to the conflict and closure of the strait.
QatarEnergy has informed customers that it can restore approximately 50% of its production capacity within one month of safe passage resuming through the Strait of Hormuz, and reach roughly 80% within two months. Before the conflict, Qatar's total LNG production was around 77 mtpa. The operable 64 mtpa can ramp up relatively quickly once shipping routes reopen. This proactive positioning aims to minimize delays for deliveries to key markets in Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, India) and Europe. For instance, India alone accounts for 41.4% of its total LNG imports, with 11.2 million tonnes out of 27 million tonnes imported in 2024-2025 coming from the Ras Laffan facility.
The restart of LNG exports from Qatar is conditional on the U.S.-Iran ceasefire holding and sustained safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The return of these tankers signals QatarEnergy's readiness to load cargoes rapidly as soon as the strait reopens. This development offers potential relief to global natural gas markets, where prices in Europe and Asia remain higher than prewar levels despite the tentative peace agreement.
