By Marwa Rashad, Reuters
QatarEnergy's operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City on 2 March, 2026. Qatar suspended liquefied natural gas production on 2 March after Iranian strikes hit Gulf energy facilities. Photo: AFP
Qatar, one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas producers, halted LNG and related output after strikes on facilities in Ras Laffan.
The country accounts for about 20 percent of global LNG exports, all of which transit the Strait of Hormuz, according to analysts.
Here are some key facts:
- State-owned QatarEnergy shipped 80.97 million metric tons of LNG in 2025.
- It plans to expand output capacity to 142 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2030, from currently 77 mtpa, which would give it about a quarter of the global market and make it the second-largest exporter after the United States.
- QE supplies Europe and predominantly Asian markets, with over 80 percent of customers in China, Japan, India, South Korea, Pakistan and other countries in the region.
- Traders estimate the company supplies 90 percent-95 percent of its gas under long-term contracts and 5 percent-10 percent under spot contracts.
- The country's LNG production facilities, liquefaction plants and export infrastructure are concentrated almost entirely in Ras Laffan, about 80 kilometres northeast of Doha.
- Global energy majors Exxon Mobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni , Conoco and others are investors in Qatari LNG.
QE produces gas from the fields that it shares with Iran. All Qatari LNG cargoes must exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Reuters
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