In a new indication of the effects of the raging war in the Middle East on global energy markets, the State of Qatar began offering at least two ships to transport liquefied natural gas for rent, in conjunction with the continued disruption of the work of its main export facility in the Gulf.
According to what traders familiar with the matter reported, the ships “Al Thumama” and “Mesaieed”, both of which have long-term contracts with Qatar Energy Company, are currently available on the market for charter.
Ship tracking information collected by Bloomberg shows that the two ships are currently located near the western coast of the African continent, as a result of the disruption of maritime traffic coming from the Gulf region due to the escalating military events there.
This step comes after Qatar previously announced the cessation of production at the Ras Laffan facility, which is the largest in the world in the field of liquefied natural gas exports, following an Iranian drone attack that targeted the region.
The increase in the intensity of military operations that began after the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 has led to major disruptions in energy markets, with the prices of crude oil, natural gas and their derivatives rising significantly.
The conflict has also caused a virtual closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway linking the Arabian Gulf to global markets, disrupting maritime traffic to and from the region, including Qatari LNG ships.
