Qatari LNG Tanker Clears Strait of Hormuz Bound for Pakistan

Bloomberg reports that the Qatari LNG carrier Al Kharaitiyat transited the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month after loading at Ras Laffan, sailing toward Pakistan’s Port Qasim. MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data show the roughly 212,000-cubic-metre tanker, operated by Nakilat and flagged in the Marshall Islands, departed Ras Laffan and entered the Gulf of Oman with Pakistan listed as its destination. The voyage is the first energy shipment from the area since the outbreak of hostilities on Feb. 28.

Iran reportedly approved the passage as a confidence-building measure amid mediation efforts by Pakistan, with Iranian media saying the vessel was the first non-Iranian LNG tanker to receive clearance from the Iranian navy since the conflict began and was monitored near the strait entrance before its automatic tracking was switched off. Sources say Islamabad and Tehran are discussing limited, coordinated LNG transits to meet urgent energy needs and ensure safe passage. Earlier disruptions in April and attacks affecting Qatar’s facilities were reported to have hit about 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, with full recovery expected to take years, as reported by SANA