Second Qatari LNG Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz

Second Qatari LNG Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz

A second Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has transited the Strait of Hormuz, days after the first such crossing, highlighting how shipments are being cleared on a case‑by‑case basis amid heightened conflict risks, according to Reuters reports.

The vessel, Mihzem, with a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Ras Laffan and is sailing northeast toward Port Qasim in Pakistan, where it is expected to arrive on May 12, shipping data from LSEG showed.

This marks the second successful passage of a Qatari LNG cargo through Hormuz since the outbreak of the Iran war. On Saturday, the tanker Al Kharaitiyat began crossing via the Iranian‑approved northern route and completed its transit on Sunday.

Sources told Reuters that Qatar is supplying LNG to Pakistan under a government‑to‑government deal, with Iran allowing the shipments to build confidence with Doha and Islamabad. Two additional Qatari LNG tankers are expected to head to Pakistan in the coming days.

Pakistan has been in talks with Iran to permit limited LNG shipments through Hormuz as Islamabad faces an urgent gas shortage. Earlier this month, the UAE’s ADNOC managed to send two LNG tankers through the strait after switching off tracking signals, underscoring the operational sensitivities in the waterway.

Qatar, the world’s second‑largest LNG exporter, has seen 17% of its export capacity knocked out by Iranian attacks, with repairs expected to sideline 12.8 million metric tons per year of LNG for the next three to five years, Reuters reported.