Global LNG exports fell to about 33 million tonnes in April 2026, the lowest in nearly two years, as Middle East tanker disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war with Iran impacted shipping flows.
Two liquefied natural gas tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday ( May 25) heading to route to Pakistan and China, while a supertanker carrying Iraqi crude for China departed the Gulf on Saturday after being stranded for nearly three months, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.
Turkey’s state-owned energy company BOTAS has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italian energy firm Edison to explore potential cooperation opportunities in natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), the companies said.
Eni signed three long-term LNG agreements in Indonesia covering South Hub and North Hub projects in the Kutei Basin, securing about 2 MTPA supply via Bontang LNG facilities.
QatarEnergy signed an MoU with Egypt and ExxonMobil to explore Cyprus gas development and commercialisation via Egypt’s LNG infrastructure, strengthening Egypt’s role as an Eastern Mediterranean gas hub.
Europe is increasing reliance on US LNG, projected to supply two-thirds of imports in 2026, potentially becoming the EU’s main and costliest gas source amid shifting global supply, according to Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Morocco’s decision earlier this year to pause elements of its long-anticipated LNG import strategy marks less a delay than a strategic reset – one that reflects both shifting global market dynamics and a more pragmatic approach to infrastructure development, said industry experts.
Italy will begin receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Golden Pass LNG facility in the US, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil from June, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Middle East conflict disrupted global natural gas markets, cutting nearly 20 per cent of LNG supply via the Strait of Hormuz, causing supply shocks, uncertainty, and sharp price increases worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest quarterly gas market report.
QatarEnergy marked its first LNG export from the Golden Pass project in Texas, a joint venture with ExxonMobil, as a milestone toward full operations, with cargo loaded onto the new 174,000-cubic-meter Al-Qaiyyah carrier.
