By 2033, Qatar may become the largest buyer of American LNG. At the end of October, Qatar Energy entered into agreements for the annual purchase of up to 7 million tons of LNG in 2030-2031, of which up to 4 million tons will be supplied by the American Cheniere Energy, and up to 3 million tons by the Australian Woodside Energy from its Louisiana LNG plant being built in the USA. Considering the 70% stake in the Texas Golden Pass project, the scope of the American supply available to the company will reach 23.7 million tons per year, according to Wood McKenzie's calculations. American LNG will be used exclusively for resale to international customers. Threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, its only supply route, are forcing Qatar to look for ways to maintain long-term contracts and reduce dependence on its export infrastructure. Damage to two plants at Ras Lafan facilities reduced Doha's export capacity by 12.8 million tons (about 17%). Against this background, the United States gains another advantage in the global competition. According to the IEA, more than half of the new LNG export capacity ordered in 2025-2030 will come from American projects. The decline in Qatar's supply in the medium term increases the demand for alternative sources of LNG, including Russian projects. However, the redirection of exports to Asia is accompanied by an increase in transportation costs and the need to provide discounts of up to 30-40% due to sanctions risks. According to industry estimates, shipping from Arctic LNG projects (Yamal LNG, and in the future Arctic LNG-2) to India costs $2.5-5 per million BTU compared to $1-1.5 for shipments to Europe. The key conditions for strengthening the market positions will be the availability of an ice class fleet, technology development and reduction of logistics costs.

By 2033, Qatar may become the largest buyer of American LNG. At the end of October, Qatar Energy entered into agreements for the annual purchase of up to 7 million tons of LNG in 2030-2031, of which up to 4 million tons will be supplied by the American Cheniere Energy, and up to 3 million tons by the Australian Woodside Energy from its Louisiana LNG plant being built in the USA. Considering the 70% stake in the Texas Golden Pass project, the scope of the American supply available to the company will reach 23.7 million tons per year, according to Wood McKenzie's calculations. American LNG will be used exclusively for resale to international customers. Threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, its only supply route, are forcing Qatar to look for ways to maintain long-term contracts and reduce dependence on its export infrastructure. Damage to two plants at Ras Lafan facilities reduced Doha's export capacity by 12.8 million tons (about 17%). Against this background, the United States gains another advantage in the global competition. According to the IEA, more than half of the new LNG export capacity ordered in 2025-2030 will come from American projects. The decline in Qatar's supply in the medium term increases the demand for alternative sources of LNG, including Russian projects. However, the redirection of exports to Asia is accompanied by an increase in transportation costs and the need to provide discounts of up to 30-40% due to sanctions risks. According to industry estimates, shipping from Arctic LNG projects (Yamal LNG, and in the future Arctic LNG-2) to India costs $2.5-5 per million BTU compared to $1-1.5 for shipments to Europe. The key conditions for strengthening the market positions will be the availability of an ice class fleet, technology development and reduction of logistics costs.