World Loses 12.8 Million Tonnes of LNG After Ras Laffan Bombing: Exxon to Shell Face Uncertainty

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DOHA — The world has been shaken following reports of an Iranian airstrike that has paralysed 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity. The attack targeted the Ras Laffan gas field, which is the world’s largest LNG facility, as retaliation for Israel’s strike on gas installations in Pars.

QatarEnergy’s CEO, Saad al-Kaabi, confirmed on Thursday (19/3/2026) that the damage would result in an annual revenue loss of $20 billion and threaten the stability of energy supplies to Europe and Asia.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Al-Kaabi revealed that two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains, as well as one gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility, suffered severe damage from this unprecedented attack.

The repair process is estimated to take three to five years, meaning the world will lose 12.8 million tonnes of LNG supply per year during that period.

Al-Kaabi, who also serves as Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs, expressed deep sorrow over the incident. “Even in my worst nightmares, I never imagined that Qatar would experience an attack like this, especially from a fellow Muslim country during the holy month of Ramadan,” he said.

Tehran’s attack was reportedly an act of retaliation after their own gas infrastructure was hit by an Israeli strike. Nevertheless, Al-Kaabi emphasised that Qatar should not be drawn into the vortex of that conflict. “If Israel attacks Iran, that’s their business. It has nothing to do with us or this region,” he asserted firmly.