QatarEnergy extends LNG force majeure to end-November as Hormuz crisis persists

September 28, 2026 at 07:30 PM2 min

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QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on LNG deliveries to Asia and Europe through the end of November, citing the continued blockage of LNG cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The extension affects customers in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Italy's Edison, with Edison's force majeure extended to early December. Qatar has lost $24 billion in sales since the Iran war crippled its LNG exports six months ago.

Key Facts

QatarEnergy extended force majeure on LNG deliveries to Asia and Europe through the end of November, from end-October previously.
The force majeure for Italy's Edison has been extended to early December.
Qatar has lost $24 billion in sales since the Iran war crippled its LNG exports via the Strait of Hormuz six months ago.
Qatar's LNG exports tumbled by as much as 96%, with only 18 cargoes exported compared to 509 in the same period last year.
Some LNG cargoes from Qatar and the UAE have recently transited the Strait of Hormuz or engaged in ship-to-ship transfers outside the Strait offshore Oman, but volumes remain a fraction of pre-war exports.

Force Majeure Extension

State-owned QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on LNG deliveries to Asia and Europe by another month through the end of November. The extension was prompted by the protracted blockage of LNG shipments at the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran stalemate. QatarEnergy notified customers in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as at least one buyer in India and Italy's Edison, of the extension. Edison said its force majeure has been extended to early December, after a previous extension to early November.

Export Collapse

Six months since the Iran war crippled Qatar's LNG exports via the Strait of Hormuz, the world's second-largest LNG exporter has lost $24 billion in sales. Exports tumbled by as much as 96%, according to Reuters calculations. The number of LNG cargoes Qatar managed to export crashed to just 18, down from 509 cargoes in the same period last year, per data from ICIS cited by Reuters. Despite some recent transits of the Strait or ship-to-ship transfers offshore Oman, volumes are only a fraction of pre-war exports.

Shipping Constraints

Unlike oil, it is much more difficult to shuttle-ship LNG through Hormuz and then reload the gas via ship-to-ship transfer. Persian Gulf producers have used such alternative methods for oil shipments in recent months. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have engaged in some ship-to-ship transfers outside the Strait offshore Oman.