Qatar Turns to US LNG Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Qatar's Ras Laffan LNG export complex has been severely impacted by Iranian strikes in March, forcing QatarEnergy to seek alternative sources of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US. The facility, which was once the world's largest liquefaction facility, has been offline since an attack on March 2.

The damage caused by the strikes reduced Qatar's LNG export capacity by 17%, resulting in an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia. Saad al-Kaabi, QatarEnergy's CEO and state minister for energy affairs, said that two of Qatar's 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in the strikes.

The Ras Laffan complex is a critical component of Qatar's LNG export business, with most of its shipments going to Asia. The facility was expected to nearly double production by 2030, but the damage caused by the Iranian strikes has put those plans on hold. QatarEnergy is now negotiating with US producers to secure multi-year contracts for up to 2-3 million metric tons per annum through 2031.