QatarEnergy has extended the suspension of liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Italian utility Edison and some South Asian clients until the end of December 2026, prolonging supply disruptions caused by the Iran war, according to Reuters.

Edison said in a message published on the platform of Italy’s energy markets manager GME that QatarEnergy had extended its force majeure notices on LNG deliveries from an earlier deadline in December. The extension will affect three additional cargoes originally scheduled for the Italian utility, one of QatarEnergy’s largest customers in Europe.

Clients in Pakistan and Bangladesh have also been notified that force majeure will remain in effect through the end of the year, according to sources familiar with the matter and state-run Petrobangla.

Petrobangla Chairman Abdul Mannan said the company was seeking additional spot LNG cargoes to offset the supply shortfall, but warned that higher procurement costs were increasing the country’s import bill and pressuring its finances.

Meanwhile, QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on November LNG supplies to India’s Petronet LNG, according to a source familiar with the matter.

QatarEnergy has suspended deliveries to Edison since April due to disruptions linked to the Iran war, which began in late February. Under a long-term agreement in place since 2009, Edison is contracted to receive 6.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from QatarEnergy, equivalent to approximately 10% of Italy’s annual gas consumption. The agreement runs for 25 years.

The prolonged supply disruptions have added to pressure on European gas markets amid low storage levels and gradually falling temperatures. The benchmark Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) gas price rose above €95 per megawatt-hour (MWh) during the week, approaching its highest level since December 2022.