A second Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan, highlighting how cargoes are crossing the waterway on a case-by-case basis amid ongoing conflict risks. The vessel, Mihzem, with capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Ras Laffan and is heading northeast toward Port Qasim in Pakistan, where it is expected to arrive on May 12, according to LSEG shipping data.
This would be the second successful passage through Hormuz for a Qatari LNG tanker since the start of Iran war.
On Saturday, LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat started crossing Hormuz via the Iranian-approved northern route and on Sunday it managed to cross the strait.
The LNG is being sold by Qatar to Pakistan – a mediator in the war – under a government-to-government deal, according to two people familiar with the matter on May 9. They said Iran had approved the shipment to help build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan.
Two more tankers laden with Qatari LNG are expected to head to Pakistan in the coming days, the sources said.
Pakistan has been in discussions with Iran to allow a limited number of LNG tankers to pass through the strait, as Islamabad urgently needs to address its gas shortage, a source briefed on the agreement told Reuters on May 9.
Iran agreed to assist, and the two sides are coordinating the first vessel’s safe passage carrying gas supplied under Pakistan’s agreement with Qatar, its main LNG supplier, the source added.
Earlier this month, the UAE’s ADNOC managed to send two LNG tankers through the strait after their tracking signals were switched off, according to shipping data, underlining the heightened risks and operational sensitivities in the waterway.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG, with shipments mostly going to buyers in Asia. Iranian attacks knocked out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to sideline 12.8 million metric tons per year of the fuel for three to five years.
(Reporting by Marwa Rashad; Editing by Louise Heavens)