QatarEnergy Seeks 3 to 6 Million Tons of Annual US LNG to Offset Persian Gulf Supply Risks

QatarEnergy is in talks to sign additional long-term contracts to buy liquefied natural gas from US companies, targeting purchases of 3 million to 6 million tons annually, according to people familiar with the matter. The move is a direct response to supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf, where an Iranian strike on Qatar's Ras Laffan industrial complex damaged two production lines and knocked out roughly 17 percent of the country's LNG export capacity.

The state energy company has already moved to anchor US supply, having struck a deal with Houston-based Cheniere Energy to buy up to 4 million tons of LNG per year through 2054. The new talks signal Qatar's intent to broaden those commitments further in the coming months as it pursues a strategy of geographic diversification away from Gulf production.

The effort marks a notable strategic shift: Qatar, historically one of the world's largest LNG exporters and a principal competitor to US producers, is now actively sourcing volumes from American exporters to plug the gap left by damaged domestic output and to hedge against the risk of further regional conflict.