A tanker loaded with Qatari LNG in August is making a rare northbound transit of
the Red Sea en route to Poland, ship-tracking data show. The route traverses
waters at high risk of Houthi attack; passage shortens delivery time to Europe
compared with rerouting but raises security exposure. Ship-tracking lists the
vessel’s next destination as Poland, where long-term supply contracts exist
between Poland’s Orlen SA and QatarEnergy — shipments under that deal were
previously canceled after a March drone strike on Qatar’s Ras Laffan. The move
is notable as European gas prices trade near four-year highs; to avoid the Red
Sea, many vessels now reroute via the Cape of Good Hope, adding nearly two weeks
to single-leg voyages and lifting transport costs.
