Qatar has asked vessels near its main liquefied natural gas export hub at Ras Laffan to switch off their transponders, including ships in the port, anchorages and port waters, people familiar with the matter said. The request is being treated as a safety measure. [1, 2]
At least nine LNG tankers anchored near Qatar stopped sending signals on May 11, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The change came as a wave of tankers went dark across the Persian Gulf, the people said. [2, 1]
The request follows a string of security incidents in and around Qatari waters. Qatar’s Defence Ministry said a cargo ship was targeted by a drone last week, causing a small fire. [2]
Security in the Persian Gulf has tightened since the war in the Middle East spread across shipping routes and included attacks on Qatar’s LNG export facilities, according to the reported account. The disruption has affected traffic near one of the world’s biggest gas exporters. [2]
Over the past weekend, one shipment from Qatar transited the Strait of Hormuz after Pakistan’s talks with Iran to allow safe passage, according to people familiar with the matter. The directive for ships at Ras Laffan remains in place. [2, 1]
