QatarEnergy Seeks US LNG After Ras Laffan Output Losses

QatarEnergy is negotiating multi-year LNG purchase agreements with U.S. producers including Venture Global, Cheniere Energy and Woodside to secure roughly 2 million to 3 million tons annually through 2031. The shift from spot-market purchases follows Iranian strikes that damaged two of 14 production trains at Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex, potentially removing about 12.8 million tons of annual capacity for three to five years. Qatar is also contending with severe shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz, the main route for its LNG exports, prompting monthly force majeure extensions and threatening deliveries to major Asian and European customers. The company is considering LNG from both operating and under-construction U.S. projects, while its investment in Texas’s Golden Pass terminal could provide an additional source of supply. The disruption has sharply reduced Qatar’s exports and forced the traditionally major LNG supplier to seek outside volumes to meet contractual obligations and protect supply security.