QatarEnergy announced on Wednesday that "serious damage" occurred as a result of Iranian missile attacks targeting the Ras Laffan industrial city, the main center for the country's liquefied natural gas operations. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates suspended operations at gas facilities after intercepting missiles early Thursday.

The attacks, which prompted an angry response from U.S. President Donald Trump, came just hours after Iran issued evacuation warnings for several oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, following attacks on energy infrastructure at the South Pars field and the Asaluyeh refinery.

Ras Laffan Industrial City (archive).

QatarEnergy, the world’s second-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, said in a statement, "Emergency response teams were immediately deployed to contain the fires caused by the attack, which resulted in serious damage, but no deaths occurred." The Ministry of Interior announced Thursday morning that all fires had been extinguished.

Ras Laffan, located 80 kilometers north of Doha, is a vital hub for the energy sector and hosts many international companies, including Shell, the world’s largest LNG trader.

A Shell spokesperson said, "We are currently assessing any potential impact on assets operated or used by Shell in Ras Laffan Industrial City and will provide further information in due course."

The energy giant holds a 30 percent stake in an LNG facility with an annual production capacity of 7.8 million tons, in addition to investments in operational LNG facilities in Ras Laffan. It also owns 100 percent of the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids plant in the hub, capable of processing 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

QatarEnergy reported that the Pearl plant suffered serious damage. It added that several LNG facilities were targeted in missile attacks early Thursday morning, causing large fires and additional damage.

U.S. President Donald Trump (AFP)

Trump threatens to respond

Qatar produces 77 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually, making it the world’s second-largest exporter of this fuel, which is used for electricity generation and various industries worldwide. The Laffan refinery primarily processes condensates to produce refined products, including jet fuel.

In a statement on social media, Trump warned Iran against attacking Qatari LNG facilities again and threatened to destroy the entire South Pars gas field if it did. He also claimed that Israel had attacked the field without informing Qatar or the United States.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the Iranian security and military attachés to leave the country within 24 hours, declaring them persona non grata. In a statement, the ministry condemned the attack on Ras Laffan, calling it a “direct threat” to Qatar’s national security and accused Iran of taking an “irresponsible approach.”

Suspension of gas operations in the UAE

Authorities in the UAE reported dealing with two incidents caused by missile debris following the successful interception of missiles targeting the Habshan gas facilities and the Bab field.

The Abu Dhabi Media Office announced the suspension of operations at the gas facilities, with no injuries reported.

The Habshan complex, operated by the state oil giant ADNOC, is one of the largest gas processing facilities in the world, consisting of five plants with a total capacity of 6.1 billion cubic feet per day, according to ADNOC.

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