Business

India's Qatari LNG Imports Hit Eight-Month Peak as Doha Resumes Shipments Through Hormuz

Reported by Kunal Bhatia (Senior Writer) · Indian Express - Business ·

Unconfirmed

Reported by one source so far

Important

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

India's Qatari LNG imports surge to 8-month high as Doha steps up dark transits via Hormuz. After receiving paltry volumes of liquefied natural gas from Qatar for seven months amid the West Asia conflict, India's imports of super-chilled gas from the Gulf state staged a massive recovery this month, placing Doha at the second spot among New Delhi's source markets, as per vessel tracking data. Qatar has been India's top source of LNG, but the disruption in vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz led to a crash in supply volumes starting March. But the trend saw a striking reversal this month, with 0.44 million tonnes (mt) of Qatari LNG delivered to India by October 25, up nearly

ExplainerWhy this matters

What Happened

India's liquefied natural gas imports from Qatar dropped sharply after conflict in West Asia disrupted vessel movements through the vital Strait of Hormuz, but shipments have now rebounded as Doha adopts aggressive shipping tactics.

Why It Matters

Because India depends on imports for about half of its natural gas needs across critical sectors like power, fertilizer, and city gas, the sudden squeeze in supply forced local buyers into competitive spot markets at very high prices. The recovery from Qatar helps ease this heavy replacement pressure and secures essential fuel ahead of winter demand spikes.

What Happens Next

Industry watchers will monitor whether these maritime security workarounds, such as ship-to-ship transfers and dark transits, can maintain steady supply flows through the winter months despite ongoing regional tensions.

Tags:Strait of Hormuz LNG tanker Qatar energy

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