Oman's Energy Minister Calls for Diversifying West Asia's LNG Export Routes

Oman's Minister of Energy and Minerals, Salim al Aufi, said at the Gastech energy conference in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, September 14, 2026 (23 Shahrivar 1405), that West Asia needs alternative export routes for liquefied natural gas (LNG) that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. According to Oilprice.com, citing Bloomberg, al Aufi pointed to the near total halt of Persian Gulf LNG exports since the start of the US and Israel war with Iran and said routes to the north, through Oman, or through Yemen should be identified to move the region's energy resources out.

Per Oilprice.com, building such alternative pipelines would take time and could immediately become a new target for drone and missile strikes, as happened recently to Saudi Arabia's East to West pipeline. Oman, which produces more than 11 million tons of LNG a year, has been running its plants above nameplate capacity this year to help offset lost supply from Qatar. Separately, Balaji Krishnamurthy, head of Chevron's Australian operations, told Bloomberg that elevated LNG prices are likely to persist for at least another six months.