Finance
Factbox-Qatar's Role in the Global Gas Market
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 2, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleQuick Summary
Qatar halted LNG production in Ras Laffan on March 2 2026 after Iranian drone strikes, removing roughly 20% of global LNG exports and spotlighting its critical role as a low‑cost supplier and major capacity expander.
Factbox-Qatar's role in the global gas market
Qatar's Position and Influence in the Global Gas Market
By Marwa Rashad
LONDON, March 19 - Iranian missile attacks since Wednesday have caused "extensive damage" at QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas facilities in Ras Laffan, which processes and exports 20% of global LNG supply and helps to make Qatar one of the biggest LNG producers.
Qatar shares its gas fields with Iran and had amicable relations until the U.S.-Israeli war that began at the end of February. Earlier this month, Qatar halted LNG output and declared force majeure on LNG shipments.
Here are some facts on the role Qatar plays in global energy markets:
QatarEnergy's Global Standing and Expansion Plans
QatarEnergy is the world's second largest LNG exporter. It plans to expand output capacity to 142 million tons per annum by 2030, from 77 mtpa currently, which would give it about a quarter of the global market and make it the second-largest exporter after the U.S.
Production Facilities and Export Infrastructure
Qatar's LNG production facilities, liquefaction plants and export infrastructure are concentrated almost entirely in Ras Laffan, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of Doha.
All Qatari LNG cargoes must exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Markets and Contract Structures
QE supplies Europe and predominantly Asian markets, with over 80% of customers in China, Japan, India, South Korea, Pakistan and other countries in the region.
Traders estimate the company supplies 90%-95% of its gas under long-term contracts and 5%-10% under spot contracts.
International Partnerships and Investments
Global energy majors ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni, ConocoPhillips and others are investors in Qatari LNG.
Shell's Operations and Recent Incident
Shell has a 100% interest in Pearl GTL in Qatar that has capacity to process up to 1.6 billion cubic feet per day of wellhead gas, converting it into 140,000 bpd of gas-to-liquids. It also holds a 30% stake in a 7.8 million metric tons a year LNG facility and investments in yet-to-produce LNG plants.
Impact of Missile Attacks on Shell Facilities
The energy major said Wednesday's attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan caused damage to the Pearl GTL facility, adding the fire was quickly put out, there were no reported injuries and Pearl is now in a "safe state".
TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil Stakes
TotalEnergies <TTEF.PA > operates the Al-Shaheen oil field through North Oil Company, a JV with QatarEnergy, where TotalEnergies holds 30% and QE owns the remaining 70% stake.
ExxonMobil holds several stakes in Ras Laffan joint ventures.
Other Key Exports and Products
In addition to LNG, Qatar is also the world's second largest exporter of fertilisers and helium. It also produces significant quantities of liquefied petroleum gas, propane, butane and refined products such as low-sulfur diesel, largely from its gas-to-liquids facilities.
(Reporting by Marwa Rashad and Stephanie Kelly in London. Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee, Mark Potter and Barbara Lewis)
Key Takeaways
- •Qatar supplies nearly a fifth of the world’s LNG, with virtually all exports passing through the vulnerable Strait of Hormuz (eia.gov).
- •It has shipped about 80 Mt in 2025 and is expanding its LNG capacity from ~77 Mtpa to ~142 Mtpa by 2030 via North Field East, South and West phases (rigzone.com).
- •The production halt sparked global gas price spikes (~50% in Europe) and underlined the strategic importance of Qatar’s long‑term contracts and infrastructure at Ras Laffan (ft.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Factbox-Qatar's role in the global gas market
1How much of the world's LNG exports does Qatar account for?
Qatar accounts for about 20% of global LNG exports, making it one of the largest producers worldwide.
2Where are Qatar's LNG production and export facilities located?
Qatar's LNG production facilities, liquefaction plants, and export infrastructure are mostly concentrated in Ras Laffan, northeast of Doha.
3Through which route do all Qatari LNG cargoes exit the Gulf?
All Qatari LNG cargoes must exit the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
4What is QatarEnergy's planned LNG output capacity for 2030?
QatarEnergy plans to expand its LNG output capacity to 142 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2030.
5Who are some major investors in Qatari LNG projects?
Global energy majors like Exxon Mobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Eni, and Conoco are key investors in Qatari LNG projects.
