Arab News
Arab News,
Thurs, Mar 05, 2026 | Ramadan 15, 1447
QatarEnergy announces force majeure following Iran attacks: statement
Qatar:
Qatar’s state-run energy firm on Wednesday declared force majeure following
attacks on two of its main facilities that halted liquefied natural gas
production and as Iran pressed missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.
“Further to the announcement by QatarEnergy to stop production of liquefied
natural gas and associated products, QatarEnergy has declared Force Majeure to
its affected buyers,” the company said in a statement.
QatarEnergy invoked the clause, which shields it from penalties and potential
breach of contract claims from clients, after stopping LNG production on Monday.
Iranian drones attacked two of the company’s main production hubs in Ras Laffan
Industrial City, 80 km north of Doha and in Mesaieed 40 km south of the Qatari
capital, Doha’s ministry of defense said at the time.
The Gulf state is one of the world’s top liquefied natural gas producers,
alongside the US, Australia and Russia.
On Tuesday, QatarEnergy said it would halt some downstream production of some
products including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminum and others.
Qatar shares the world’s largest natural gas reservoir with Iran.
QatarEnergy estimates the Gulf state’s portion of the reservoir, the North
Field, holds about 10 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves.
In recent years, Qatar has inked a series of long-term LNG deals with France’s
Total, Britain’s Shell, India’s Petronet, China’s Sinopec and Italy’s Eni, among
others.