Qatar: The ongoing conflict in West Asia has dealt a severe blow to global energy markets, with Iranian attacks on Qatar’s key gas infrastructure disrupting a significant portion of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Officials warn that the fallout could last several years, affecting major energy-importing nations across Europe and Asia.
Qatar’s Energy Minister and QatarEnergy chief Saad al-Kaabi revealed that nearly 17 per cent of the country’s LNG production capacity has been knocked offline בעקבות recent strikes. The damage is estimated to result in annual revenue losses of around $20 billion, underlining the scale of the crisis for one of the world’s leading gas exporters.
According to authorities, at least two LNG processing units and a gas-to-liquids facility were hit during the attacks. Repairs are expected to take between three to five years, leaving approximately 12.8 million tonnes of annual LNG output unavailable during that period. This disruption is likely to impact key buyers such as India, China, Italy, Belgium and South Korea, all of whom depend on long-term supply agreements with Qatar.
The situation escalated sharply after a missile strike targeted Ras Laffan, the country’s largest LNG hub. Following the incident, QatarEnergy declared force majeure on several contracts, signalling its inability to meet supply commitments due to circumstances beyond its control.
Energy officials indicated that production cannot resume until hostilities in the region subside, adding that the scale of destruction could set back infrastructure development by up to two decades. The attacks have also shaken confidence in the Gulf region’s stability as a reliable energy hub.
International energy companies have also been affected. US-based ExxonMobil holds stakes in some of the damaged LNG units, while Shell is linked to the impacted gas-to-liquids facility. Restoration timelines for certain assets could extend up to a year or longer, depending on the extent of structural damage.
The disruption comes at a time when global energy markets are already under strain due to geopolitical tensions. Analysts warn that prolonged outages in Qatar’s LNG supply chain could drive up global gas prices and intensify competition among importing nations scrambling to secure alternative sources.
With no immediate end to the conflict in sight, the crisis threatens to reshape energy dynamics worldwide, placing additional pressure on economies reliant on steady fuel imports.
