Qatar plans rapid LNG output restart after Strait of Hormuz reopens

Qatar is preparing to rapidly increase liquefied natural gas production once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, with plans to restore most of its export capacity within two months, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

QatarEnergy, which operates the country's LNG facilities, has told buyers it expects to lift output to about 50% of capacity one month after safe passage through the strait is restored and to roughly 80% within two months, according to the report.

There has been no official confirmation yet from Doha or QatarEnergy.

The remaining capacity, equivalent to two production trains, is expected to take years to fully restore after damage from Iranian missile strikes in March, Bloomberg cited the people as saying.

Qatar shut the Ras Laffan LNG complex, the world's largest LNG production facility, in the first week of the war after an Iranian attack. The shutdown triggered cargo cancellations and weighed on Qatar's longstanding reputation as one of the world's most reliable LNG suppliers.

The Ras Laffan complex exported nearly one-fifth of global LNG supply last year but has remained largely idle for more than three months, as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz made large-scale gas exports difficult.

QatarEnergy has been preparing for a rapid restart since April by testing equipment and carrying out maintenance, according to the report. Several production trains have reportedly continued operating at reduced capacity to supply neighboring countries and preserve restart readiness.

The planned recovery pace is faster than some analysts and traders had expected, the report said.

US President Donald Trump has said the Strait of Hormuz could reopen by Friday, when an interim agreement with Iran is expected to be signed in Switzerland. However, uncertainty remains over the timeline, with a senior US official warning that mines would still need to be removed before full safe passage can resume.

The return of Qatari LNG would help ease a global supply crunch that has kept prices in Europe and Asia elevated compared with pre-war levels.

Qatar has exported a limited number of LNG shipments from the Persian Gulf to buyers in Asia by masking the location of tankers for security reasons, but volumes remain well below normal levels, according to Bloomberg.