Qatar has reportedly loaded its first liquefied natural gas cargo after the escalating conflict in the Middle East forced the country to suspend fuel production and declare an unprecedented force majeure to buyers.

The tanker departed the LNG export complex on Friday, with ship-tracking data showing showing an increased draft level, indicating that it is carrying cargo, according to Bloomberg.

The vessel is signaling Bangladesh as its next destination, with an estimated arrival date of March 14.

However, the journey still depends on safe navigation through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed to commercial shipping amid ongoing hostilities in the region.

The tanker may therefore serve as temporary storage until the route reopens.

Earlier this week, Qatar shut down the world’s largest LNG export facility, Ras Laffan, following an Iranian drone attack.

Even before the incident, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had nearly ground to a halt, despite the route typically handling about a fifth of global LNG supplies.

A spokesperson for QatarEnergy did not immediately respond to requests.

LNG can still be loaded from an export facility even after production has been shut down, as some volumes of the fuel are typically stored in tanks.