Six months into the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have turned to ship-to-ship transfers in emergency operations to keep liquefied natural gas moving to buyers around the world, sources indicated on 9 September 2026.
Three Gulf cargoes have been moved using ship-to-ship transfers, a measure that exporters are testing as they seek ways around the disruption in Hormuz. The operations represent short-term adjustments intended to sustain flows while the maritime restrictions persist.
Both Qatar and the UAE continue to export at volumes well below pre-war levels, the report notes, underlining the scale of the disruption to Gulf liquefied natural gas supply. Exporters remain active in seeking logistical responses as conventional routing and loading practices have been affected.
The transfers have been used to reroute damaged LNG tankers and to move cargoes that might otherwise have been unable to reach customers because of the blockade. Operators are conducting these transfers in the Gulf as emergency measures designed to preserve contractual deliveries to purchasers overseas.
Emergency STS manoeuvres
Ship-to-ship transfers have been deployed in the Gulf to move full cargoes between tankers where direct port loading or transit through the usual channels is disrupted. The recent moves show exporters and ship operators willing to adopt non-standard procedures to maintain supply lines.
The measures reported so far are framed as ad hoc, short-term steps rather than permanent changes to how LNG trade is normally conducted. They are presented as responses to unusual and sustained disruption caused by the blockade.
Market and logistical consequences
The reduction of exports from Qatar and the UAE compared with pre-war throughput has implications for buyers dependent on Gulf LNG. The report highlights that, even after six months, volumes have not returned to previous levels.
Exporters say they are testing a range of options to keep cargoes moving. The ship-to-ship transfers described are among several contingency steps under consideration or in limited use as the blockade continues.
Operators and buyers are facing a trade-off between maintaining supply continuity and the operational complexities of emergency transfers. The account in reports emphasises the pragmatic steps taken to keep gas deliveries flowing to markets amid persistent maritime disruption.
The situation remains fluid as the blockade endures beyond the half-year mark, and Gulf exporters continue to explore ways to meet commitments to buyers while navigating the constraints imposed by the restricted access through Hormuz.