Qatar's natural gas facilities attack may disrupt fertilizer and helium supplies, impacting agriculture and the semiconductor industry

In less than 12 hours, Iran’s missiles struck Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar twice, causing “severe damage” to this critical energy hub in the Gulf country. However, the impact is expected to far exceed the Middle East region.

Ras Laffan Industrial City, operated by QatarEnergy, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most important liquefied natural gas (LNG) hubs, integrating transportation, processing, and port facilities. Qatar exports about 20% of the world’s LNG supply, making it the second-largest exporter globally after the United States, with nearly all of its natural gas exported through Ras Laffan.

Since the Strait of Hormuz—a vital shipping route—has effectively been closed, local LNG and other product production has been suspended since early March. The severe damage to the facilities could further extend the time needed for recovery.

It is expected that South Asian countries will be the first to feel the impact, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. These countries rely on more than half of their LNG supplies from Qatar and have limited reserves. However, Ras Laffan also supplies other regions in Asia, Europe, and Africa, which will also have to deal with supply disruptions.

In addition to LNG, Ras Laffan produces fertilizer products, including urea and ammonia—key raw materials for agriculture; it also produces sulfur and helium, the latter being an essential gas for chip manufacturing. According to QatarEnergy, this hub supplies about 25% of the world’s helium production.

Ras Laffan Industrial City is located in the northeastern tip of the Qatar Peninsula, about 80 kilometers from Doha. It processes natural gas from large gas fields in the Persian Gulf, jointly owned by Qatar and Iran—Qatar calls it the North Field, while Iran refers to it as South Pars.

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Editor: Chen Yujia