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Qatar Extends Force Majeure on LNG Supplies to Asian, European Buyers

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Qatar extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas deliveries to Asian and European buyers as flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted, according to media reports on Friday.

QatarEnergy has notified customers in Pakistan that LNG supplies will remain unavailable through October, while deliveries to Bangladesh will remain cancelled beyond September, sources told Bloomberg.

European buyers have also received notices from the company.

Reuters reported that QatarEnergy will no longer ship five cargoes to Italy's Edison that were due to arrive between late September and early November. QatarEnergy has not delivered to the company since April, the article said.

has reached out to QatarEnergy and Edison for comments.

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Oil & Energy

US Oil Update: Prices Rise Amid Hormuz Uncertainty as Trump Rules Out Iran Talks

Crude oil futures settled higher in after-hours trading on Thursday as markets shift focus to stalled diplomatic efforts to end the US-Iran conflict and ease restrictions on energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 1.6% to $83.54 per barrel, while Brent futures climbed 1.8% to $89.39/bbl.US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 100,000 barrels to 428.9 mmbbls in the week ended Aug. 21, the Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report released Wednesday.Crude inventories are 1% above the five-year average for this time of year, the EIA said.The build is below Investing.com's estimate of 1.6 mmbbl for the week ended Aug. 21.Gelber & Associates strategists said that October WTI trades near $82.30/bbl, up $0.07 and essentially unchanged, as traders weigh tentative progress toward reopening the Hormuz against the risk that negotiations fail to restore normal shipping.President Trump said on Thursday that he is not interested in returning to the negotiating table with Iran."We don't want to speak to them. We're not looking to meet or anything," Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, noting that the US was focused on punishing Iran economically and would penalize countries that do business with Tehran.White House Press Secretary also said that no negotiations are happening between the US and Iran, but all options remain on the table.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in an interview with Fox News, said no negotiations are currently underway between the US and Iran. She noted that the situation was unlikely to change "until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way," and that this was yet to be seen.Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with his Iranian counterpart on Thursday to discuss the proposed interim framework, which includes establishing a temporary route through the strait.Al Thani's visit follows the visits by Omani and Pakistani officials as mediators step up efforts to revive stalled talks, amid a month-long pause in direct US military strikes on Iran.Saxo Bank strategists said President Trump said 10 million barrels moved through the strategic waterway on Tuesday, while reiterating that the mines have been cleared.However, US allies are privately warning that the strait is still likely mined, casting doubt on Trump's claim that the US Navy has completely removed and detonated explosives laid by Iran.The US Central Command posted on X on Thursday that it had redirected 75 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two to ensure compliance with its naval blockade.

Oil & Energy

Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted; Tanker Attacked Near Iran

Shipping flow through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remained constrained amid ongoing regional security threats, with vessel traffic well below the pre-war average, maritime data showed on Thursday.The UK Maritime Trade Operations in its 48-hour report as of Aug. 27 reported one confirmed security incident on Wednesday involving an oil tanker, which anchored off the Omani coast following the incident.The vessel was hit while transiting eastbound in the Strait of Hormuz, the UKMTO said, noting that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps activity in and around the Hormuz persisted.The maritime security agency said activity underscores Iran's continued efforts to assert a presence along key shipping lanes and maintain pressure on vessels transiting the strategic waterway."Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at reduced levels. Independent trackingdata indicated suppression with single-digit numbers transiting in both directions," the UKMTO said.The UKMTO also continued to warn of the risk of drifting or uncharted mines, with designated mine-danger areas remaining active.The US Central Command posted on X on Thursday that it had redirected 75 commercial vessels, disabled three and boarded two to ensure compliance.MarineTraffic data show five vessels crossed the Hormuz on Aug. 25, down 28.6% from seven a day earlier. The data analytics firm said that all five vessels used Iran's unilateral transit scheme, with two vessels entering the Middle East Gulf and three exiting.Traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb also slipped, with 36 confirmed crossings on Aug. 25, down 7.7% from 39 the previous day. A total of 15 vessels entered the Red Sea while 21 exited, MarineTraffic said.The subdued traffic comes despite no confirmed new attack or disruption being reported in the Southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb during the period, according to UKMTO.Commercial traffic in the strait remains at reduced levels following the July 20 Houthi declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and earlier attacks on vessels in the region, UKMTO said.The International Maritime Organization's daily Strait of Hormuz incident tracker showed that the total number of confirmed maritime security incidents in the region was 70 as of Aug. 26.The IMO tracker provides a daily log of verified strikes on ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began, with the earliest incident recorded on March 1.

Oil & Energy

Nigeria LNG Train 7 Passes 90% Completion as Feedgas Supply Remains Key Risk, Kpler Says

Nigeria LNG's Train 7 project has reached 90% completion, with feedgas availability remaining a key factor for its eventual startup, Kpler said in a note on Thursday.Nigeria LNG Chief Executive Adeleye Falade said the company is focused on safely completing the remaining work, meeting required quality standards, and preparing the facility for reliable operations.Falade gave the update during a Thursday meeting with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, which also covered gas development, future expansion and issues affecting Nigeria LNG's operations.Kpler Insight estimated construction had reached 92% by late May, compared with 80% in June 2025, and forecast Train 7's first LNG cargo in July 2027.Kpler Insight sees risks to the startup schedule from ongoing feedgas constraints, with Train 7's ramp-up likely to rely heavily on supplies from the Ubeta field.TotalEnergies (TTE) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation are developing the Ubeta field, which is scheduled to begin production in 2027 and could help meet Train 7's gas requirements, Kpler said.Nigeria LNG operates six existing trains at its Bonny Island facility with combined capacity of 22 million metric tons per year. Train 7 would raise the site's total capacity to about 30 million mt per year.Kpler data showed Nigeria LNG shipped 11.3 million mt of LNG from Bonny Island during the first seven months of the year, compared with 8.79 million mt over the same period last year.

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