Qatar Recalls Empty LNG Carriers to Prepare for Re-Export, One-Fifth of Global Supply May Resume
Alina Collins
After a US-Iran interim deal reopened the Strait of Hormuz, Qatar is routing empty LNG carriers back to the Persian Gulf to restart exports worth roughly one-fifth of global supply — but an explosion at the Ras Laffan terminal adds uncertainty to the timeline.
Why are empty tankers suddenly heading back?
The US and Iran reached an interim peace deal, reopening the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to open sea.
Qatar had previously kept all empty LNG carriers out of the Gulf on safety grounds.
This means → the U-turn itself is a signal: Qatar judges the strait safe enough to send ships in empty for loading.
How many ships are on the way?
Vessel-tracking data show three LNG carriers already in the Gulf of Oman, near the strait's eastern entrance; five more sit off eastern Oman, with additional ships en route.
Over the past week, at least three Qatar-linked empty LNG carriers have transited the strait.
In plain terms = the fleet is returning in waves, but a full reassembly is still some way off.
How far has the export recovery come?
In the week to June 19, Qatar loaded more than 300,000 tonnes of LNG for export — the highest since early March.
That is still only about one-fifth of pre-conflict volumes before the late-February US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Doha plans to restore most capacity within two months of a secure strait reopening.
This means → exports have barely restarted; reaching pre-conflict levels will take weeks at minimum.
What does the Ras Laffan explosion mean?
Ras Laffan, the world's largest LNG export terminal, is restarting. Markets see its recovery as key to capping global gas prices.
But the Barzan gas-supply facility — part of the Ras Laffan complex — suffered an explosion and fire last Sunday.
Barzan mainly feeds Qatar's domestic industry and power generation; whether LNG output is affected remains unclear.
This reflects a harder reality: restarting mega-facilities is not as simple as turning a valve — the process itself carries accident risk.
Is the diplomatic deal solid?
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Baghaei said on June 22 that an 18-hour negotiation produced an agreed document.
The text will be published by Qatar and Pakistan, the two mediators; technical working groups will continue talks on implementation details.
In plain terms = the political framework is in place, but execution is still being negotiated — the basis for strait transit is established, not locked in.
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