Qatar extends LNG suspension to Bangladesh through November

Qatar has extended its suspension of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to Bangladesh and Pakistan by another month, with cargo cancellations now set to continue through November amid severe disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Bloomberg-linked reports.

State-owned QatarEnergy has been invoking force majeure and cancelling scheduled cargoes since the outbreak of the conflict involving Iran, while traffic through the strategic waterway remains severely restricted. Similarly, Italian energy company Edison has said its supply suspension could last into early December, and other Asian and European buyers have received comparable notices.

The prolonged disruption is consequently placing additional pressure on Bangladesh's energy supply, particularly in the power and industrial sectors. Moreover, the strain is unlikely to ease soon, given that the underlying shipping constraints remain unresolved.

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QatarEnergy's chief executive said in a Reuters report last week that attacks on the Ras Laffan export hub had disabled about 17% of Qatar's LNG capacity. Nevertheless, he indicated that normal operations could resume once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.