Under the title "LNG Shipments from Qatar to the UAE Set to Return as a Sign of Improved Relations," Swiss Info published a report citing Reuters about a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker that has loaded a shipment from Qatar heading to the UAE, marking the first such shipment since mid-2017, highlighting the improvement in relations between the two countries.
While LNG tankers often change their destinations, if this shipment is completed, it will be the first Qatari LNG shipment to the UAE since May 2017, according to ship tracking data from Refinitiv Icon and information company Kepler.
The UAE reopened all its land, sea, and air crossing points with Qatar this year after Saudi Arabia announced a breakthrough regarding the resolution of the dispute between Gulf Arab states and Qatar during a summit. Prior to the dispute, Qatar used to export LNG to the UAE during the summer, when electricity demand increases.
Data on Wednesday indicated that the tanker named Al Gariya loaded a shipment from Ras Laffan on May 10 and is currently anchored, but it is scheduled to discharge the shipment in Jebel Ali, UAE.
Rebecca Chia, an analyst at Kepler, noted that another LNG tanker named Al Qattara, which was loaded from Ras Laffan on May 5, initially indicated Jebel Ali as its destination but later changed course to Asia. She added that Qatargas had been long-term chartering both tankers.
Shipping data from Refinitiv Icon also showed that Qatar resumed monthly condensate exports to the UAE starting in February. The data revealed that Qatari condensate exports to the UAE surged to 1.7 million barrels in April, up from 287,000 barrels in February.
