A second liquefied natural gas tanker loaded in Qatar has been struck near the Strait of Hormuz in less than a month, as QatarEnergy continues to extend force majeure on deliveries and insurance premiums for vessels transiting the waterway climb.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that an unidentified vessel had been struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. Security consultancies Vanguard Tech and Marisks subsequently identified the vessel as the GasLog Shanghai.

GasLog, a Monaco-based LNG shipping company that manages vessels for QatarEnergy and other major gas producers, confirmed the incident occurred last Friday while the vessel was exiting the strait. The company stated that all crew members were safe and accounted for and that the tanker remained stable.

The GasLog Shanghai had loaded its cargo in Qatar around the previous Monday and ceased transmitting its position near the strait's western entrance on Friday. The owner of the LNG on board has not been disclosed. QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to questions regarding the cargo or whether the incident had affected shipments.

The attack follows a similar event on 7 July, when the Al Rekayyat, a Qatari-owned LNG tanker, was struck near the strait. That incident prompted a three-week suspension of Qatari LNG shipments through the waterway.

A Strategic Chokepoint Under Pressure

The Strait of Hormuz serves as Qatar's sole maritime route to international LNG markets. Qatar is the world's second-largest LNG exporter after Australia, shipping approximately 77 million tonnes per year, nearly all of which transits the strait. The waterway carries roughly one-fifth of global seaborne LNG trade, and Qatar has no pipeline alternative for its LNG exports — every cargo must move by sea through Hormuz.

QatarEnergy is concurrently advancing its North Field expansion project, which aims to raise production capacity from 77 million tonnes to 126 million tonnes per year by 2027, deepening the country's dependence on secure and uninterrupted passage through the strait.

Jean-Christian Heintz, managing director of Switzerland-based LNG consultancy Wideangle LNG, described the second incident as a notable setback.

"This is a blow to Qatar's perseverance in mitigating the effects of the crisis," Heintz told Euronews.

He noted that QatarEnergy's risk exposure remained essentially the same regardless of whether it deployed its own fleet or third-party carriers. "Even though QatarEnergy has the choice between using ships from its own fleet or from third parties, the risk assessment might not differ," he explained.

The GasLog Shanghai incident also follows a recent drone strike on the Energos Winter at Egypt's Damietta port, which caused a fire that spread to another GasLog-managed vessel, the GasLog Salem. No party has claimed responsibility for the Damietta attack.

Force Majeure Extended Further

QatarEnergy has been operating under force majeure on certain contracts since March, when Iranian attacks on the Ras Laffan industrial complex — which QatarEnergy describes as the world's largest LNG production facility — and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted both production and shipping. Two production trains at Ras Laffan, accounting for the bulk of Qatar's export capacity, were damaged in the March strikes.

Italian utility Edison disclosed that QatarEnergy had informed it a further three LNG cargoes would not be delivered, extending force majeure on supplies to the company through the end of September.

In total, 24 cargoes scheduled for delivery to Edison between April and the end of September — representing approximately 3 billion cubic metres of natural gas — are now subject to force majeure. Edison stated it had replaced 17 of the affected cargoes and remained able to meet its commitments to customers. The utility operates under a 25-year supply agreement with QatarEnergy, signed in 2009, covering 6.4 billion cubic metres per year.

Beyond Edison, QatarEnergy holds long-term supply agreements with utilities and state energy companies across Europe, South Asia, and East Asia, making the duration and scope of any force majeure a matter of broad market concern.

Heintz said he saw little reason for QatarEnergy to lift force majeure while the security situation remained unresolved, noting that each new incident was pushing shipowners, cargo traders, and insurers to reassess the cost of transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

"Insurance premiums, both for ships and the cargoes they carry, can only rise from this point," he explained.

While global gas markets had already adjusted significantly to the disruption, Heintz concluded that the latest incidents, combined with strong European demand to refill storage ahead of winter, were "certainly bullish for prices."

Source: Euronews