Amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, Iran is not only carrying out attacks on Israel and the United States, but is also targeting Gulf countries. On Wednesday night, Iran targeted oil and gas facilities in Qatar.
This attack carried out by Iran has shut down about 17% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity of Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery. It may take around five years to recover from the damage caused by this attack and complete repair work. This crisis poses a very serious challenge for India, as the country imports about 47% of its total natural gas requirement from Qatar alone.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, CEO of QatarEnergy, said that the attacks carried out on the mornings of March 18 and March 19, 2026, have caused significant damage to key production facilities. It may take up to five years to repair the damage, due to which the company has had to declare long-term “force majeure” (exemption from contractual obligations due to unforeseen events) on some LNG contracts.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Chairman and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “Missile attacks have reduced Qatar’s LNG export capacity by 17 percent and caused an estimated loss of $20 billion in annual revenue. It may take up to five years to repair the extensive damage to our production facilities, and we will be forced to declare long-term ‘force majeure.’”
A Matter of Concern for India
This disruption has heightened concerns for India, which is highly dependent on Qatar for its energy needs. Official figures from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) and the Ministry of Commerce show that Qatar accounts for nearly half of India’s total LNG imports.
When and How Much Supply has Reached India?
In 2024, India imported approximately 27.8 million metric tons (MMT) of LNG, of which Qatar supplied 11.30 MMT, valued at $6.40 billion, accounting for about 47% of India’s total LNG imports. Official figures from the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC) and the Ministry of Commerce for 2025-26 also confirm that Qatar remains India’s primary gas supplier.
Impact Will be Seen on Domestic Prices
Amid rising geopolitical tensions, this ongoing disruption is expected to increase the risk to India’s energy imports, as reduced supply from its largest supplier could affect availability and prices in the domestic market.
According to official statements from Qatar, the attacks damaged two liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains—Train 4 and Train 6. Their combined annual production capacity is 12.8 million tons (MTPA), which accounts for about 17 percent of Qatar’s total exports.
China and Italy will Also be Affected
Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said, “It will take three to five years to repair the damage to the LNG facilities. This will affect China, South Korea, Italy, and Belgium. This means we will be forced to declare ‘force majeure’ (unavoidable circumstances) on some long-term LNG contracts for up to five years.”
