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Qatar LNG Output Cut 17% After Missile Strike, India's Energy Supply at Risk

Missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City have severely damaged key LNG production facilities, reducing the country's export capacity by 17%. The damage is so extensive that repairs may take up to five years, forcing QatarEnergy to declare long-term force majeure on some contracts. This poses a significant risk to India, which relies on Qatar for nearly half of its liquefied natural gas imports. The disruption threatens the availability and pricing of gas in the Indian market amid rising global geopolitical tensions.

Key Points: Qatar LNG Capacity Cut 17%, India Imports 47% Gas from Qatar

  • Qatar's LNG export capacity reduced by 17%
  • Repair work could take up to five years
  • India imports 47% of its LNG from Qatar
  • Attacks caused an estimated $20 billion annual revenue loss
  • Force majeure declared on some long-term contracts
3 min read

Qatar LNG output capacity reduced by 17% for 5 years after missile hit, India faces risk as it imports 47% gas from Qatar

Missile attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan cut LNG export capacity by 17%, posing a major supply risk for India, which gets nearly half its LNG from Qatar.

"The missile attacks reduced Qatar's LNG export capacity by 17 per cent and caused an estimated loss of USD 20 billion in annual revenue - Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi"

New Delhi, March 20

Missile attacks on Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City have significantly disrupted global energy supplies, reducing the country's liquefied natural gas export capacity by 17 per cent and raising concerns for import-dependent nations like India.

In an official statement, QatarEnergy said the strikes, which occurred on March 18 and early March 19, 2026, caused extensive damage to key production facilities and are expected to result in an estimated loss of USD 20 billion in annual revenue.

The company added that repairs could take up to five years, forcing it to declare long-term force majeure on some LNG contracts.

Providing an update, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said "The missile attacks reduced Qatar's LNG export capacity by 17 per cent and caused an estimated loss of USD 20 billion in annual revenue- Extensive damage to our production facilities will take up to five years to repair and will compel us to declare long-term force majeure"

The disruption has raised concerns for India, which relies heavily on Qatar for its energy needs. Official data from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) and the Ministry of Commerce shows that Qatar accounts for nearly half of India's LNG imports.

In 2024, India imported about 27.8 million metric tonnes (MMT) of LNG, with Qatar supplying 11.30 MMT worth USD 6.40 billion, representing nearly 47 per cent of total LNG imports. Official 2025-26 data from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) and the Ministry of Commerce also confirmed that Qatar remains India's primary gas supplier

The ongoing disruption is expected to increase vulnerability for India's energy imports amid rising geopolitical tensions, as reduced supply from its largest supplier could impact availability and pricing in the domestic market.

As per official statement by Qatar, the attacks damaged two liquefied natural gas (LNG) producing Trains 4 and 6 totaling 12.8 million tons per annum (MTPA) of production, representing approximately 17 per cent of Qatar's exports.

Train 4 is a joint venture between QatarEnergy (66 per cent) and ExxonMobil (34 per cent), and Train 6 is a joint venture between QatarEnergy (70 per cent) and ExxonMobil (30 per cent).

Minister Al-Kaabi said: "The damage sustained by the LNG facilities will take between three to five years to repair. The impact is on China, South Korea, Italy and Belgium. This means that we will be compelled to declare force majeure for up to five years on some long-term LNG contracts."

The attacks also targeted the Pearl GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) facility, a production sharing agreement operated by Shell, that converts natural gas into high-quality cleaner burning drop-in fuels and produces base oils used to make premium engine oils and lubricants, and paraffins and waxes.

"The damage caused to one of the two trains at Pearl GTL is being assessed and is expected to be offline for a minimum of one year" Minister Al-Kaabi added.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very concerning news. My husband works in a ceramic factory that uses gas, and they are already worried about price hikes. This will hit our manufacturing sector and eventually common people's pockets. Hope the authorities have a backup plan.
R
Rohit P
Five years is a long time! This will definitely push up CNG prices for vehicles and cooking gas costs. Time to seriously look at renewable energy and maybe even revive some coal-based power plants as a temporary measure? Tough choices ahead.
S
Sarah B
While the geopolitical situation is unfortunate, this highlights a strategic vulnerability that was predictable. Our energy diplomacy needs to be more robust, with long-term contracts spread across more stable suppliers like the US, Australia, and Russia.
V
Vikram M
The article mentions China is also impacted. Maybe this is an opportunity for India to work with other affected nations to create a consortium for energy security and jointly negotiate with other suppliers? Just a thought.
K
Karthik V
With respect, our focus has been too much on imports. We have significant gas reserves in the Krishna-Godavari basin and elsewhere. Environmental concerns are important, but so is national energy security. We need a balanced, faster approach to tapping our own resources.
M
Michael C
This is a global supply shock. India should use its diplomatic

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