The UK has held talks with Qatar over a long-term gas arrangement that would make the Gulf state a “supplier of last resort”, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Such a deal would help ensure a stable source of LNG from Qatar even when global supplies are tight. A worldwide gas supply shortage has caused a surge in prices in recent months, leaving energy intensive industries and suppliers in the UK struggling and many consumers facing a sharp rise in household bills.
Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, has also rerouted four large tankers to the UK over the past two weeks. A person familiar with the talks said the shipments came after Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, asked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Qatari emir, at a recent meeting for help.
The two leaders met at the UN General Assembly in September and agreed to “deepen” the relationship between the two countries, which already have strong business, diplomatic and military ties. The pair met again on the sidelines of the COP26 summit in Glasgow this week. Johnson also spoke to Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar’s energy minister, on the margins of a UK global investment summit last month.
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