By Marwa Rashad
LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - A Third Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz and heading to China, ship-tracking data showed on Friday, as a Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran to try to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran.
As shipments through the waterway continue to be erratic, this third transit of a Qatari LNG tanker is taking place nearly two weeks after a first such cargo passed through the strait under an Iran-Pakistan arrangement.
The vessel, Al Sahla, with a capacity of 211,842 cubic metres, left Ras Laffan and is expected to arrive at China’s Tianjin LNG terminal on June 14, according to LSEG shipping data.
The previous two Qatari LNG tankers to make it through the Strait of Hormuz since U.S.-Israeli airstrikes unleashed the Iran war at the end of February were sold by Qatar to Pakistan under a government-to-government deal, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The people said Iran approved the shipment to help build confidence between Qatar and Pakistan, which is mediating in peace talks.
On Friday, a Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran in coordination with the United States to try to resolve outstanding issues, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.
Qatar is the world’s second-largest exporter of LNG, with shipments mostly going to buyers in Asia. Iranian attacks have destroyed 17%, or 12.8 million metric tons per year, of Qatar’s LNG export capacity. Repairs could take between three and five years, QatarEnergy’s CEO and state minister for energy affairs has told Reuters.
(Reporting by Marwa Rashad; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
