Latest Movements of Qatar LNG Ships

According to Bloomberg, two liquefied natural gas carriers originally attempting to leave the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz have altered course toward Qatar. The Qatar LNG vessel Al Daayen changed its destination to Ras Laffan on Monday night, traveling west into the gulf, while Rasheeda indicated it is waiting for orders in the same direction. Earlier, both ships had signaled they were heading to Pakistan.

Strait of Hormuz Transit Restrictions

No LNG cargo has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, though an empty LNG carrier recently passed. Before the conflict, roughly one-fifth of global LNG—mainly from Qatar and some from the UAE—transited this route. Passage would benefit Qatar LNG exports, allowing shipments already loaded in the gulf to be delivered or fuel to be offloaded.

Ship Course Changes

Both tankers loaded their cargo in late February at Ras Laffan. On Monday, Al Daayen signaled it was heading to China but appeared to approach the strait before turning back, later switching destination to Pakistan. The ships lingered in waters off Abu Dhabi during these maneuvers.

Tracking Challenges

Monitoring vessels in the Persian Gulf is challenging due to electronic signal interference and deliberate disabling of transponders. Al Daayen is managed by Seapeak, Rasheeda is owned by Nakilat, according to Equasis. QatarEnergy, which operates Ras Laffan—the world's largest LNG export plant—has not immediately responded to requests for comment.

Regional Tensions

Iran has restricted transit through the waterway since US and Israeli strikes began, only allowing passage to its own or approved ships. No known Qatar LNG vessels have passed so far. Recently, Tehran allowed vessels from countries seen as close to the US, such as France and Japan, to transit the strait.