The tanker, which loaded an LNG cargo in Qatar in August, is signalling Poland as its next destination, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Poland’s Orlen SA has a long-term supply contract with QatarEnergy, though shipments under the deal were cancelled after the exporter’s giant Ras Laffan plant was hit by drone strikes in March.

The transit — which comes as European natural gas prices hit the highest level in almost four years — is unusual. Commercial vessels have increasingly tended to take long detours to avoid the Red Sea, typically sailing around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope to head to Europe, a route that can add almost two weeks and extra costs to a one-way journey.

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a security outfit which links commercial shipping and military forces, reported on Saturday that an unnamed LNG tanker was approached southeast of the Yemeni port of Al Mukalla, in the Gulf of Aden, by a skiff that fired two shots. The tanker’s security team fired two shots in return. 

UKMTO did not provide further details, though ship-tracking data suggest the Poland-bound carrier was the only LNG tanker in the region at the time. The data suggests the vessel has since continued its journey.

QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has tightened global LNG supply for months, driving up prices and forcing Middle Eastern suppliers to look for workarounds.

This latest Qatari cargo is heading to Europe at a time when the continent has struggled to refill its gas inventories ahead of winter. Reserves of the fuel are sitting at the lowest seasonal level in over a decade, threatening even higher prices as temperatures begin to drop.

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