Key facts
- QatarEnergy signed two long-term deals with Cheniere for up to 4M tons per annum of LNG
- The Cheniere volumes are expected to start in 2031 and run through 2054
- A separate 20-year deal with Woodside covers 3M tons per annum from Louisiana LNG from 2030
- Force majeure on some long-term contracts was declared for up to five years
- QatarEnergy extended force majeure on Asia and Europe deliveries through the end of December 2026
QatarEnergy will become the largest buyer of US liquefied natural gas after signing long-term purchase agreements with Cheniere and Woodside Energy, the company said. The deals were reported on November 4, 2026.
The two Cheniere agreements cover up to 4 million tons per annum from the Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi terminals, with deliveries expected to start in 2031 and run through 2054. The Woodside agreement covers 3 million tons per annum from its Louisiana LNG project, currently under construction, on a free-on-board basis for 20 years from 2030.
QatarEnergy is turning to US supply as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz blocks its own exports. Iranian missile attacks in March took out 17% of Qatar's export capacity and caused an estimated $20 billion in annual revenue loss, QatarEnergy said in March.
Seven months later, Qatar is moving only 'very few' cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report. The company has declared force majeure for up to five years on some long-term contracts, and last week extended the force majeure on deliveries to Asia and Europe through the end of December 2026.
CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said in September at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York that LNG cannot be transported by pipelines and that Qatar is ready to resume normal operations within a few weeks of the Strait reopening.