QatarEnergy has extended its force majeure on liquefied natural gas deliveries to Italy’s Edison through the end of December, prolonging a supply disruption that is adding pressure to an already tight European gas market.
The previous notice extended the interruption only through early December.
Edison said three additional LNG cargoes scheduled for delivery to Italy will now be affected. Pakistani customers of QatarEnergy have also reportedly been informed that force majeure will continue through year-end.
QatarEnergy has been unable to deliver contracted LNG to Edison since April following disruption associated with the conflict involving Iran.
The consequences are significant for Italy because Edison’s long-term QatarEnergy contract provides 6.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, equivalent to roughly 10% of Italian consumption.
The 25-year agreement has been in force since 2009.
Edison had already disclosed in September that 35 LNG cargoes totaling approximately 4.6 billion cubic meters were subject to force majeure through the previous early-December deadline.
The company said at the time that it had been able to replace substantial volumes and remained capable of meeting customer commitments.
The latest extension arrives as Europe enters colder weather with relatively low gas inventories.
Benchmark Dutch gas has moved above €95 per megawatt hour this week, close to its highest level since December 2022.
The development illustrates how disruption in one of the world’s largest LNG-exporting regions continues to transmit through European energy markets months after the initial supply interruption.
It also reinforces the growing competition for replacement LNG cargoes among Europe and Asian importers.
For energy markets, the next variables are European winter temperatures, storage withdrawals, replacement LNG availability and whether QatarEnergy can begin restoring normal contractual deliveries after December.
