India's Petronet issues force majeure to local buyers, Qatar due to middle east crisis

NEW DELHI, March 4 (Reuters) - India's top gas importer Petronet LNG Ltd PLNG.NS has issued a force majeure notice to its supplier QatarEnergy and local buyers as its vessels are unable to reach Ras Laffan load port due to the crisis in the Middle East, it said in an exchange filing on Wednesday.

The U.S.-Iran conflict has disrupted fuel shipments in the region. Transit through the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, which carries around one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of liquefied natural gas, has ground to a near-halt after some vessels in the area were hit.

Due to the prevailing security situation and the material risks posed to maritime navigation, Petronet has issued a Force Majeure Notice to QatarEnergy for its LNG tankers Disha, Raahi, and Aseem, it said in the notice issued late Tuesday.

Petronet has also issued force majeure to its customers GAIL (India) Ltd GAIL.NS, Indian Oil Corp IOC.NS (IOCL), and Bharat Petroleum Corp BPCL.NS.

QatarEnergy has also issued a notice to Petronet "indicating a potential event of Force Majeure due to the hostilities prevailing in the region", the Indian company said.

Indian gas suppliers GAIL and Indian Oil Corp have already reduced gas supplies to industries including fertiliser plants, Reuters reported on Tuesday.