Qatar halts its LNG output ramp-up as loaded cargoes pile up on tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf

The Hormuz disruption has also paralysed Qatar's LNG exports. After a projectile hit the gas tanker Al Rekayat on 7 July 2026, QatarEnergy paused plans to raise output at the Ras Laffan complex, kept operations at a minimum for safety, and cut the number of vessels scheduled to dock at the terminal.

According to S&P Global data, the 10-day moving average of laden LNG cargoes transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell from about 0.8 per day in late June to roughly 0.2 per day by 15 July. Production and loading have continued, but with outbound shipping stalled, loaded cargoes are piling up on tankers: as of mid July about seven laden Qatari carriers holding some 0.57 million tonnes of LNG were waiting in the Persian Gulf.

The relevance for Iran lies in the same waterway that carries its oil exports. About a fifth of the world's LNG passes through Hormuz and Qatar is one of the world's top three LNG exporters, so the disruption lifts global gas prices and deepens the energy squeeze.