QatarEnergy Extends LNG Force Majeure Through Mid-June as Strait of Hormuz Stays Closed and Ras Laffan Facility Remains

State producer QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply through mid-June, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. QatarEnergy customers received the fresh notice as the Strait of Hormuz remains almost entirely closed to tanker traffic. QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Force majeure is declared when extraordinary situations prevent companies from performing on their commercial agreements. QatarEnergy has sent periodic force majeure notices since the start of the Iran war in late February 2026. Global gas prices in Europe and Asia have surged since the conflict began, with almost one-fifth of global LNG supplies choked off, including those from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar's Ras Laffan facility was damaged from Iranian missile strikes in March 2026, and a full return to capacity has not yet been achieved.

From a supply chain perspective, the extension matters in three dimensions. First, with the force majeure now reaching into mid-June, European LNG buyers preparing for summer 2026 demand will lean harder on spot cargoes from the U.S., Australia, and Algeria, lifting spot LNG prices and tightening TTF and JKM spreads. Second, QatarEnergy's long-term contract Asian and European offtakers — including Sinopec, Sinochem, PetroChina, Shell, TotalEnergies, and Eni — will need to replace lost contractual cargoes via the spot market, exposing the largest portfolios. Third, an effectively closed Strait of Hormuz disrupts global LNG arbitrage flows, structurally strengthening the pricing power of Atlantic basin producers (Cheniere, Venture Global, Sabine Pass); the structural shift, in place since February 2026, is permanently rebalancing the global LNG supply equation for the second half of 2026.

Key Takeaways:
1. QatarEnergy extended force majeure on its LNG supply through mid-June, citing the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic.
2. Since the start of the Iran war in late February 2026, almost one-fifth of global LNG supply has been choked off, with Qatar and UAE the most affected sources.
3. Qatar's Ras Laffan facility was damaged in Iranian missile strikes in March 2026 and has not yet fully returned to capacity.
4. European LNG buyers will replace summer demand with spot cargoes from the U.S., Australia, and Algeria, tightening TTF and JKM spreads.
5. Atlantic basin producers (Cheniere, Venture Global, Sabine Pass) gain structural pricing power, permanently reshaping the global LNG supply balance for H2 2026.