Yemen accord signals first step towards restarting LNG
A UN-brokered deal to bolster the ceasefire around the port of Hodeida improves chances of ending the four-year-old conflict
UN officials have secured an agreement from the internationally-recognised Yemeni government and Houthi rebels to reinforce their shaky ceasefire around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a vital entry point for food and humanitarian aid. The day when international oil companies (IOCs) return to Yemen in any numbers—and the Yemen LNG plant at Balhaf resumes production—is probably still distant. But IOCs waiting on the side-lines will be encouraged by recent developments, which suggest a small shift towards the warring parties agreeing to lay down arms. The accord includes a commitment to withdraw forces—although previous commitments have not been honoured. The UN Security Council extended the
Also in this section
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment
19 February 2026
Growth in LNG supply will surpass the rise in demand in 2026 for the first time in years, according to Mike Fulwood, senior research fellow at the OIES, but lower prices are likely to encourage fuel switching and could create more demand on a permanent basis
19 February 2026
Awais Ali Butt, manager for sales and business development at Pakistan LNG Ltd, discusses LNG’s role in energy security across developing, price-sensitive economies, as well as examining trade-offs between buying strategies and the impact of lower prices and policy on import behaviour
19 February 2026
LNG’s technical maturity, availability and price, as well as regulation, have driven its rapid adoption as a marine fuel, yet its future in shipping will depend on transition policies and progress in cutting methane emissions and scaling bio- and synthetic LNG, according to Carlos Guerrero at Bureau Veritas
