QatarEnergy suspends global liquefied natural gas production following Iranian attacks

Qatar’s Energy Firm Halts LNG Production After Iranian Attacks

A state-run energy firm in Qatar has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) following military attacks on its facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City. The company, QatarEnergy, made the announcement on Monday.

The attacks, which were launched from Iran, targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed and an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, belonging to QatarEnergy. There were no reported human casualties.

Separately, Saudi Arabia announced that it was temporarily shutting down some units of the Ras Tanura oil refinery located near the country’s eastern region after a fire broke out following a drone attack. The refinery, one of the world’s largest oil processing facilities, sustained limited damage but there were no casualties.

The attacks come as tensions between Iran and Gulf countries continue to escalate. Oil tankers have been piling up on either side of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil and the bulk of Qatari gas.

In response to the attacks, QatarEnergy stated that it would assess damages and losses resulting from the attack. The Saudi Ministry of Energy also announced that some operations had been halted as a precautionary measure, but did not foresee any impact on the supply of petroleum products to local markets.

The US, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement condemning Iranian attacks across the region and affirming their right to self-defence.

Source: Al Jazeera