Japan seeks more LNG from Australia as Middle East tensions disrupt key energy supplies.

Japan is urging Australia, its top LNG supplier, to increase output as escalating Middle East tensions disrupt energy supplies. The Strait of Hormuz, through which 6% of Japan’s LNG passes, is effectively closed, and QatarEnergy’s LNG facilities—accounting for about 20% of global supply—have shut down, with recovery expected to take months. Japan imports 11% of its LNG and nearly all its crude oil from the region, prompting JERA and the government to seek alternative sources and prepare for possible energy shortages.