Qatar has assembled a group of empty liquefied natural gas carriers in the Persian Gulf, signalling preparations for a possible increase in exports through the Strait of Hormuz as tanker traffic continues to recover despite security risks.Ship-tracking data show ballast vessels linked to Qatar moving towards Ras Laffan, as QatarEnergy positions capacity to lift loadings. The movements follow a rise in outbound Qatari cargoes through Hormuz.
Four LNG carriers — Bu Samra, Al Gattara, Al Sadd and Al Kharsaah — were tracked outside the strait around October 2 and 3 after being observed inside it between September 18 and 27, according to Kpler and LSEG vessel data. Three are linked to QatarEnergy, while Al Kharsaah is managed by Seapeak Maritime.
Al Gattara was heading towards Zhejiang in China, while Al Sadd discharged its cargo at Dahej in India on October 3. Another Seapeak-managed carrier, Al Marrouna, was detected in ballast inside Hormuz off Qatar on October 2 after previously being tracked outside the waterway.
The return of empty vessels is important because Qatar needs carriers inside the Gulf to collect cargoes from Ras Laffan. A larger pool of available ships would give the producer greater capacity to raise LNG exports if security conditions permit, although that does not confirm a sustained increase has been authorised.
LNG movements through Hormuz strengthened markedly in September. S&P Global Energy counted 19 LNG shipments through the strait during the month, including 13 from Qatar and six from the United Arab Emirates, while Kpler counted 21. That was the highest monthly level since the US-Israeli war with Iran began at the end of February.
Several Qatar-linked ships have made passages with their Automatic Identification System signals switched off, complicating efforts to measure traffic precisely. Vessels including Al Kharaitiyat, Al Gharrafa and Milaha Qatar were subsequently detected outside the Gulf after such gaps in tracking, illustrating the limitations of shipping data.
The recovery remains vulnerable to the maritime security environment. At least seven tanker attacks were recorded during the first week of October, even as Middle East oil and LNG flows increased. Shipping companies continue to face elevated risks, insurance costs and uncertainty over whether the higher rate of Hormuz transits can be maintained.
Qatar’s exposure to the waterway is high. The International Energy Agency estimates that about 93% of the country’s LNG exports passed through Hormuz in 2025. Qatar exported more than 112 billion cubic metres of LNG that year, ranking as the world’s second-largest exporter, and almost 90% of LNG moving through Hormuz from Qatar and the UAE was destined for Asia.
There is no comparable alternative route for moving Qatar’s seaborne gas to markets. The Dolphin pipeline supplies gas to the UAE and Oman but has limited spare capacity, while Oman’s LNG plants were operating close to full utilisation, according to the IEA.
The disruption has had consequences well beyond Qatar. The US Energy Information Administration estimated that more than 20% of global LNG trade moved through Hormuz in the first half of 2025. When flows were sharply curtailed this year, Asian buyers that depend on Qatari supply were forced to compete for spot cargoes from elsewhere.
Qatar’s LNG exports have recovered gradually. The country had stopped visible tanker movements through Hormuz during August amid fears of attacks, before laden and empty carriers began appearing again in September. The renewed activity has coincided with broader efforts by Gulf exporters to restore energy shipments through the passage.
Oil flows have recovered faster than LNG. Gulf crude and condensate exports returned to about 91% of pre-war levels in September, while regional energy traffic remained exposed to attacks and intermittent disruptions. That divergence reflects the constraints of LNG, which requires specialised vessels, liquefaction facilities and receiving terminals.
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