Qatar expects first NFE LNG train to start up in H1-2027
QatarEnergy expects the first 8 mtpa liquefaction train at its North Field East (NFE) expansion to start up in the first half of 2027, but the timing of subsequent trains will hinge on a sustained reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, CEO Saad Sherida Al‑Kaabi said.
Glencore signs 10-year CIF LNG deal with China Suntien affiliate
Swiss commodity trader Glencore has signed a 10-year LNG supply contract with S&T International, part of China Suntien Green Energy, on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis. Deliveries are expected to start in 2027.
Qatar curtails budget by 30% as LNG revenues collapse
The Qatari government has ordered ministries to cut their budgets by up to 30% and slash overseas aid after LNG revenues collapsed. The 2026 state budget had been set at $61 billion at the start of the year, but since then, Qatar’s LNG-dependent economy has been hit hard by war-related damage to its Ras Laffan LNG hub and persistent shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar LNG loading rise as Ras Laffan production resumes
QatarEnergies is loading the most LNG in a month with the 10-day moving average for LNG loadings from the giant Ras Laffan complex reaching around 80,000 tons in preparation for a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
QatarEnergies extends force majeure on Edison LNG cargoes
QatarEnergies has notified Edison that it is unable to deliver three LNG cargoes, extending force majeure until the end of September, the Italian utility stated. A total of 24 cargoes, representing a combined 3 bcm of natural gas, are now subject to force majeure over the April-September delivery window, with Edison saying it has already replaced most of the lost volumes.
LNG importers seek optionality, not just molecules
Optionality, not just molecules, is what LNG buyers are scrambling for as spare capacity shrinks and shipments from Qatar remain constraint. As sources for ‘safe’ supply become finite, each new shipping disruption has a greater impact on prices and procurement decisions, analysts warn.
Qatari LNG flows likely to recover from mid-August
Energy Aspects has pushed back its Qatari LNG ramp-up forecast by a further two weeks, now expecting a partial recovery from mid-August. Q3-26 loadings are seen at 5.4 million tons, down from 6.1 Mt previously, as markets price in elevated risk from prolonged Hormuz disruptions, though TTF is still unlikely to exceed €70/MWh over the balance of summer.
Kuwait's retreat to Qatar began before the war
Kuwait has taken 28 LNG cargoes so far this year, 2.17 million tons on an arrival-date basis to 23 July, and every one of them loaded at Ras Laffan. The last cargo from anywhere else was the LNG Borno out of Bonny Island, which discharged at Al Zour on 31 October 2025. Nothing has berthed at the terminal since 15 July.
US, Canada offset 70% of lost LNG supply via Hormuz
Soaring LNG trade flows from the US and Canada have offset around 70% of the lost supply via the Strait of Hormuz, though further military escalations in the region and delays in restoring Qatari exports keeps could prolong market tightness into 2027, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warns.
Shippers await details on Trump’s 20% Hormuz transit charge
Crude oil and LNG shippers are waiting for more details after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would impose a 20% charge on all cargoes transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a move the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization said it strongly opposes as unlawful.
