Multiple liquefied natural gas tankers have diverted from Europe to Asia following a drone attack on Qatar that forced the shutdown of the world's largest LNG plant. At least two vessels changed course mid-Atlantic since Friday, continuing a trend of three similar reroutes last week as Middle East tensions disrupt global energy flows.

The Qatar outage has throttled approximately 20% of global LNG exports to both Europe and Asia, sending gas prices higher across markets. Buyers are scrambling for alternative supplies as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz compounds supply constraints, intensifying competition for available LNG shipments between the two key import regions.

While US LNG shipments offer better profitability to Asia when freight costs are excluded, the recent surge in spot shipping rates may limit further rerouting. The evolving situation underscores how geopolitical events in the Middle East are reshaping global energy trade patterns, with European buyers potentially facing stiffer competition for available cargoes.