Qatar moves six LNG tankers toward the Gulf in a possible sign of resuming exports through Hormuz

According to OilPrice.com, in a report published Monday, September 7, 2026 (16 Shahrivar 1405) citing Bloomberg and ship tracking data from Kpler, six empty liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers linked to Qatar are currently in or approaching the Gulf of Oman, with another tanker having recently crossed the Strait of Hormuz toward the Qatari coast, a pattern that may signal state firm QatarEnergy is preparing to resume export loadings. Donya-e-Eqtesad, in a report published the same day, said the simultaneous movement of several empty tankers toward the Persian Gulf suggests a possible shift in Doha's approach. QatarEnergy, the world's third largest LNG exporter, halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz early in the Iran-US war after a missile struck its Ras Laffan complex, and had earlier told customers it could restore about 50 percent of production capacity within a month and up to 80 percent within two months once safe transit resumed. However, OilPrice.com reported that more than two months on, transit through the Strait of Hormuz has not resumed and attacks on tankers have instead picked back up.