Explosion and fire hit Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial complex; QatarEnergy cites operational incident

An explosion and fire broke out at the Barzan local gas supply facility in Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, and QatarEnergy said the incident stemmed from a technical fault during startup operations, with the blaze now under control. Ras Laffan handles about 77 to 80 million tonnes per annum of LNG exports—close to 20% of global LNG trade—and also produces products including aluminium and urea. The incident occurred as U.S. and Iranian delegations held talks in Geneva, while force majeure on some LNG contracts that had already been extended to mid-August adds to supply-disruption concerns.