Qatar has significantly increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to the highest level in over two months, signaling growing confidence in navigating the strategic waterway. At least four laden carriers transited the strait in the past week — two outbound and two inbound — according to Bloomberg-compiled ship-tracking data. One shipment is headed to India's west coast. Vessel signals were not detected during transit, though jamming and interference are common in the area. State-owned Qatar Energy declined to comment.

This marks the most sustained rise in Qatari LNG activity since early July, when exports through Hormuz were largely halted after an attack on a Qatari vessel. Before the conflict, the strait handled about 20% of global LNG supply, but transits have become perilous due to repeated strikes on ships. Traffic remains well below pre-war levels of roughly three daily shipments, but any increase could help alleviate a global gas supply crunch. European and Asian prices have surged to their highest since 2022 as winter demand builds.

Qatar may be adopting a "shuttling" strategy used by Persian Gulf oil producers, moving cargoes on their own ships through Hormuz before transferring to other vessels in the Gulf of Oman. However, LNG transfers are technically difficult due to the fuel's super-chilled state. Qatar has also loaded LNG onto empty tankers inside the gulf and exported some to Kuwait to manage storage and maintain minimum operations at its massive Ras Laffan complex — the world's largest LNG export facility. Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York that undamaged parts of Ras Laffan could resume operations "within a couple of weeks" when Hormuz reopens.