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QatarEnergy has issued force majeure to customers who have been affected by its decision to stop production and shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products.

“QatarEnergy values its relationships with all of its stakeholders and will continue to communicate the latest available information,” the state enterprise said in a statement on 4 March.

QatarEnergy announced its decision to halt production of LNG and associated products on 2 March due to military attacks on the company’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in Qatar.

The following day, the company said it was stopping output of products in the downstream energy value chain, including urea, polymers, methanol, aluminium and other products.

The state enterprise did not blame Iran for the attacks in either of its statements, but it is understood that its facilities have been hit by drones and/or missiles launched by Tehran, as it retaliates against Israel, the US and their military bases in the GCC states, further escalating the ongoing conflict.

QatarEnergy currently has a nameplate LNG production capacity of 77.5 million tonnes a year (t/y), with all its processing trains and export infrastructure located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, which lies about 90 kilometres to the north of Doha.

In Mesaieed Industrial City, situated around 45km south of Doha, QatarEnergy operates crude oil refining facilities, including natural gas liquids (NGL) units, as well as petrochemical production complexes and other units in the hydrocarbon value chain.

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