A tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar appears to have transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking the country’s first export out of the region since the Iran war began.
The Al Kharaitiyat, which loaded at the Ras Laffan export plant earlier this month, exited the strait and is in the Gulf of Oman, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows.
The vessel lists Pakistan as its next destination, according to the data.
The ship is navigating the Tehran-approved northern route and has sailed past Larak Island, according to the tracking data.
The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) shipping data showed that Qatari LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after departing Qatar's Ras Laffan en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan.
A successful passage would mark the first transit by a Qatari LNG tanker through the strait since the start of the war on Iran.
The LNG is being sold by Qatar to Pakistan - a mediator in the war - under a government-to-government deal, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. They said Iran had approved the shipment to help build confidence with Qatar and Pakistan.
Pakistan has been in discussions with Iran to allow a limited number of LNG tankers to pass through the strait, as Islamabad urgently needs to address its gas shortage, a source briefed on the agreement told Reuters.
Iran agreed to assist, and the two sides are coordinating the first vessel's safe passage carrying gas supplied under Pakistan's agreement with Qatar, its main LNG supplier, the source added.
The vessel, managed by Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd and sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, has a cargo capacity of 211,986 cubic meters, according to LSEG data.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards halted two Qatar LNG tankers, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, that had been heading towards the Strait of Hormuz on April 6 and instructed them to hold position without explanation, a source told Reuters at the time.
Qatar is the world's second-largest exporter of LNG, with shipments mostly going to buyers in Asia. Iranian attacks knocked out 17% of Qatar's LNG export capacity, with repairs expected to sideline 12.8 million tons per year of the fuel for three to five years.
