Qatar's Ministry of Interior reported that the incident resulted in 54 injuries.
Qatari authorities have announced that an explosion occurred at a facility within the Ras Laffan Industrial City during its commissioning phase on Sunday, resulting in dozens of injuries and 18 individuals unaccounted for. This incident comes as the nation is intensifying efforts to restore its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export operations, which have been disrupted by months of conflict in the Middle East.
According to QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy operator, the explosion and subsequent fire took place at the Barzan gas supply facility. The Ministry of Interior confirmed on Monday that the accident caused injuries to 54 people, with 18 still missing.
The Barzan gas facility is a crucial component of Qatar's energy infrastructure, supplying natural gas via pipelines to the country's power plants, desalination facilities, and various industrial projects. The plant has a daily export capacity of 1.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas and also produces ethane, condensate, liquefied petroleum gas, and sulfur for both domestic use and export.
Authorities have classified the explosion as a technical incident, stating that it does not pose a threat to public safety. However, the full extent of the damage to the plant remains unclear at this time.
The facility is located in Ras Laffan, the heart of Qatar's LNG industry and the world's largest LNG export hub. The industrial city houses 14 LNG production trains with a combined annual design capacity of 77 million tonnes.
Earlier this year, missile and drone attacks launched by Iran damaged two LNG production trains and a gas-to-liquids facility within the complex, reducing Qatar's gas export capacity by approximately 17%. Repair work for that damage is expected to take several years to complete.
Restoration efforts are currently underway at the Ras Laffan complex. Concurrently, negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding the terms of a peace agreement are ongoing. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan have indicated that a roadmap has been agreed upon, with a plan to finalize a comprehensive peace agreement within a 60-day timeframe.
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