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.
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.
Singapore has secured enough LNG from outside the Middle East to last through the end of this year, as state-owned buyer GasCo accelerated spot purchases to replace cargoes affected by disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations are underway for long-term offtake from the US, Australia and Canada.
The first phase of the EU’s ban on Russian LNG has taken effect this weekend, removing an initial slice of the 20.3 bcm imported in 2025 at a time when European buyers are already competing for replacement cargoes for lost Qatari supply.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to visit Algeria this week, seeking to step up pipeline gas imports after QatarEnergy notified Edison it cannot deliver the five contracted cargoes due in early April.
The EU is paying a premium price for LNG as pipeline gas imports fell 9% in the first half of this year. LNG imports cost around 26.9 billion Euros over the same period, with 13.7 billion Euros of that paid for US cargoes.