According to reports from the AP and other news agencies on June 21, the Qatari Ministry of Interior stated, "A technical accident led to an internal explosion at one of the factories in the Ras Laffan industrial complex," adding that civil defense teams were deployed to the scene.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, explained that the explosion and fire occurred at the Barzan gas supply facility while employees were preparing to restart the export terminal that evening. QatarEnergy noted, "The accident occurred during the process of resuming operations at the Ras Laffan industrial city."
Initially, authorities reported only a few injuries, but later revised the figures to 54 injured and 18 missing. Given the significant number of missing persons, there is a possibility that the casualty count could rise. AFP reported that flames and smoke columns were observed 20 kilometers south of the Ras Laffan industrial complex.
This incident in Qatar, one of the world's largest LNG producers, could add further strain to the global energy market. The Ras Laffan industrial complex is a key hub for liquefying natural gas produced from nearby offshore gas fields for export worldwide. Covering an area of 295 square kilometers, the complex houses LNG processing and storage facilities, condensate separation plants, and refineries, among other gas and oil-related infrastructure.
The Barzan facility where the explosion occurred has the capacity to produce approximately 1.4 billion standard cubic feet (SCF) of gas for sale each day. Qatar has primarily used this gas for domestic power generation and to operate seawater desalination facilities in the Arabian Peninsula's desert regions.
Qatar is the world's third-largest LNG exporter. The Ras Laffan industrial complex is considered the 'heart of LNG' in Qatar, with a significant portion of the LNG produced here destined for the Asian market. Last year, South Korea imported 6.97 million tons of LNG from Qatar, accounting for 14.9% of its total LNG imports, making it the third-largest supplier after Australia and Malaysia.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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