Second Qatari LNG tanker heads to Pakistan via Hormuz
A second Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz just days after the first cargo passed through under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The vessel, Mihzem, with a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres, departed Qatar’s Ras Laffan terminal and is heading northeast toward Port Qasim in Pakistan, where it is expected to arrive on May 12, according to LSEG shipping data.
This marks the second successful passage through the Strait of Hormuz for a Qatari LNG tanker since the start of the Iran war.
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On Saturday, another LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, began crossing the strait via an Iranian-approved northern route and completed its transit on Sunday.
According to two people familiar with the matter, the LNG cargo is being sold by Qatar to Pakistan — a mediator in the conflict — under a government-to-government agreement. They said Iran approved the shipment as part of efforts to build confidence with both Qatar and Pakistan.
The sources added that two additional Qatari LNG tankers are expected to head toward Pakistan in the coming days.
Pakistan has also been in talks with Iran to permit a limited number of LNG tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as the country faces urgent pressure to address its natural gas shortage, a source briefed on the arrangement told Reuters on May 9.
Iran reportedly agreed to assist, and both sides are coordinating the safe passage of the first vessel carrying gas supplied under Pakistan’s agreement with Qatar, its main LNG supplier.
Earlier this month, the UAE’s ADNOC also managed to send two LNG tankers through the strait after their tracking signals were switched off, according to shipping data, highlighting the heightened risks and operational sensitivities in the waterway.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest LNG exporter, with most shipments going to Asian buyers. Iranian attacks reportedly disrupted 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to keep 12.8 million metric tons per year offline for three to five years.
By Nijat Babayev
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