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The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further
chaos in global energy markets, particularly as Qatar remains
one of the world's top natural gas producers. Qatar shut down
its production after Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz
meant it couldn't get shipments out to its clients.
With Iran loosening its grip on the strait as negotiations
continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to
try to restart its export terminal. On Sunday night, that work
sparked an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility,
the state-run firm QatarEnergy said.
The scale of the damage remains unknown after the blast, with
officials initially saying only a few people had been hurt. But
hours later, Qatar's Interior Ministry offered the far-greater
casualty figures.
The Barzan plant had a capacity of almost 1.4 billion standard
cubic feet of sales gas per day, which Qatar used primarily for
local electricity generation and to power its crucial water
desalination plants in the desert reaches of the Arabian
Peninsula.
Qatar owns nearly all of the plant, with a small share also held
by ExxonMobil. The oil company did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
In March, an Iranian missile hit Ras Laffan, sparking a fire
that caused “extensive” damage before it was extinguished,
authorities said. Qatar had already halted production there
because of Iranian attacks.
Qatar shares its massive offshore natural gas field in the
Persian Gulf with Iran. That natural gas production has made
Qatar wealthy. It has used that money to raise its profile
worldwide through hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, creating the
Al Jazeera news network and funding its work as an international
mediator, including the talks in Switzerland between Iran and
the United States.
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