Red Sea attacks ‘could impact’ gas deliveries, Qatar says

Deliveries of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar could be delayed by the increase in attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, QatarEnergy warned on Wednesday (January 24). Since November, Yemeni rebels have said they are targeting ships they believe are linked to Israel in “solidarity” with the Palestinians in Gaza, in the grip of the war between the Israeli army and the Islamist movement Hamas.

Their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have forced many shipowners to suspend passage on this crucial transit route representing up to 12% of world trade. The American and British armies have recently carried out several strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, raising fears of a dangerous escalation.

Additional transport costs and longer delivery times

“Ongoing developments in the Red Sea region could have an impact on the scheduling of some deliveries which will take alternative routes”, Qatar’s national airline said in a statement. The Houthi attacks have forced many shipowners to avoid the Red Sea and take a longer route around the tip of Africa, at the cost of increased transport costs and longer delivery times.

In mid-January, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdelrahmane Al-Thani, whose country is one of the largest LNG producers in the world, declared that LNG cargoes, “like all other merchant cargoes”, would be affected. He also described the crisis in the Red Sea as “most dangerous climb” in the region due to its impact on global trade.