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Line 562: − + − − ===Ras Laffen=== − [[File:Industrial Gas Oil Qatar.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]] − Qatar's natural gas liquefaction facilities and related industries are located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, site of the world's largest LNG exports of more than 31 million metric tons per year. Qatar's heavy industrial base, located in Messaieed, includes a refinery with a 140,000 bpd capacity, a fertilizer plant for urea and ammonia, a steel plant, and a petrochemical plant, and several new petrochemical plants were planned to be built in the coming years. All these industries use gas for fuel. Most are joint ventures between U.S., European, and Japanese firms and the state-owned Qatar Petroleum (QP). The U.S. was the major equipment supplier for Qatar's oil and gas industry, and U.S. companies played a major role in the development of the oil and gas sector and petrochemicals. − − When [[Iranian]] strikes damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex — the single largest [[LNG]] export facility in the world — and QatarEnergy declared ''force majeure'' in early March 2026, roughly 10 billion cubic feet per day of supply, about 20% of globally traded LNG, went offline. Kpler tanker data showed no laden LNG vessel crossing the strait for months afterward. The [[World Bank]]'s natural gas price index jumped 24% in a single month. [[Europe]]'s benchmark was projected to climb roughly 25% across 2026, because LNG frequently sets the marginal price there; [[Asia]], which takes the overwhelming majority of Qatari cargoes, was hit hardest as buyers scrambled to replace contracted deliveries on the spot market. If combat operations were to end, it is estimated to take up to three years to restore the Ras Laffen facility. − − Liquefied gas is a seaborne product by definition — it is liquefied precisely because it cannot be piped across oceans. The one producer large enough, the United States, cannot plug the supply gap to [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], or [[India]]. American liquefaction terminals take years and billions to build; the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expected [[U.S.]] [[export]]s to rise by only a small fraction of the missing Qatari volumes, with meaningful new capacity trickling in through late 2026 at best. Line 583:
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→Economy
Qatar's economy suffered a downturn from in the mid-1990s. Lower Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil production quotas, a fall in oil prices, and the generally unpromising outlook on international markets reduced oil earnings. In turn, the Qatari Government cut spending plans to match lower income. The resulting recessionary local business climate caused many firms to lay off expatriate staff. With the economy recovering in the late 1990s, expatriate populations have grown again.
Qatar's economy suffered a downturn from in the mid-1990s. Lower Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil production quotas, a fall in oil prices, and the generally unpromising outlook on international markets reduced oil earnings. In turn, the Qatari Government cut spending plans to match lower income. The resulting recessionary local business climate caused many firms to lay off expatriate staff. With the economy recovering in the late 1990s, expatriate populations have grown again.
Oil production is currently around 835,000 barrels a day (bpd), and is expected to reach 1.1 million bpd by 2009. At the current production pace, oil reserves are expected to last more than 40 years. Moreover, Qatar's proven reserves of gas are the third-largest in the world, exceeding 900 trillion cubic feet (14% of the world's total proven gas reserves). Qatar shares with Iran the largest single non-associated gas field in the world, the North Field. Qatar is now the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with a capacity of more than 31 million metric tons per annum (mmta), and it expects to reach 77.5 mmta of LNG exports by 2010. By 2010, Qatar will account for one-third of the world's LNG supply.
Oil production is currently around 835,000 barrels a day (bpd), and is expected to reach 1.1 million bpd by 2009. At the current production pace, oil reserves are expected to last more than 40 years. Moreover, Qatar's proven reserves of gas are the third-largest in the world, exceeding 900 trillion cubic feet (14% of the world's total proven gas reserves). Qatar shares with Iran the largest single non-associated gas field in the world, the North Field. Qatar is now the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with a capacity of more than 31 million metric tons per annum (mmta), and reached 77.5 mmta of LNG exports by 2010. By 2010, Qatar accounted for one-third of the world's LNG supply.
The 1991 completion of the $1.5-billion Phase I of the North Field gas development project strongly boosted the economy. In 1996, Qatar began exporting liquefied natural gas to Japan. Further phases of North Field gas development costing billions of dollars are in various stages of planning and development, and Qatar has concluded agreements with the U.A.E. to export gas via pipelines and to Spain, Turkey, Italy, the U.S., France, South Korea, India, China, Taiwan, and the U.K. via ship. However, the government has halted any further expansion of gas production until 2010, as it assesses its plans for future exploitation of the field.
The 1991 completion of the $1.5-billion Phase I of the North Field gas development project strongly boosted the economy. In 1996, Qatar began exporting liquefied natural gas to Japan. Further phases of North Field gas development costing billions of dollars are in various stages of planning and development, and Qatar has concluded agreements with the U.A.E. to export gas via pipelines and to Spain, Turkey, Italy, the U.S., France, South Korea, India, China, Taiwan, and the U.K. via ship. However, the government has halted any further expansion of gas production until 2010, as it assesses its plans for future exploitation of the field.
Qatar pursues a vigorous program of "Qatarization," under which all joint venture industries and government departments strive to move Qatari nationals into positions of greater authority. Growing numbers of foreign-educated Qataris, including many educated in the U.S., are returning home to assume key positions formerly occupied by expatriates. In order to control the influx of expatriate workers, Qatar has tightened the administration of its foreign manpower programs over the past several years. Security is the principal basis for Qatar's strict entry and immigration rules and regulations.
Qatar pursues a vigorous program of "Qatarization," under which all joint venture industries and government departments strive to move Qatari nationals into positions of greater authority. Growing numbers of foreign-educated Qataris, including many educated in the U.S., are returning home to assume key positions formerly occupied by expatriates. In order to control the influx of expatriate workers, Qatar has tightened the administration of its foreign manpower programs over the past several years. Security is the principal basis for Qatar's strict entry and immigration rules and regulations.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
===Ras Laffen===
[[File:Industrial Gas Oil Qatar.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
Qatar, a large [[natural gas]] supplier, produces nearly a third of global supply, according to the US Geological Survey. [[Helium]], a byproduct of natural gas processing, is essential in the [[high-tech]] world. It has important uses in chipmaking for which there is no easy substitute. The [[Epic Fury|Iran war]] significantly disrupted the [[supply chain]] when the single largest [[helium]] production site in the world, Ras Laffan Industrial City, was hit with a [[missile]] in early March 2026. The Qatari government estimates that it will take up to five years to fully repair the site. If dislocations continue, this could start to noticeably interfere with production of goods such as [[electronics]], [[automobile]]s, and [[smartphone]]s.
Qatar, a large [[natural gas]] supplier, produces nearly a third of global supply, according to the US Geological Survey. [[Helium]], a byproduct of natural gas processing, is essential in the [[high-tech]] world. It has important uses in chipmaking for which there is no easy substitute. The [[Epic Fury|Iran war]] significantly disrupted the [[supply chain]] when the single largest [[helium]] production site in the world, Ras Laffan Industrial City, was hit with a [[missile]] in early March 2026. The Qatari government estimates that it will take up to five years to fully repair the site. If dislocations continue, this could start to noticeably interfere with production of goods such as [[electronics]], [[automobile]]s, and [[smartphone]]s.
Qatar's natural gas liquefaction facilities and related industries are located in Ras Laffan Industrial City, site of the world's largest LNG exports of more than 31 million metric tons per year. Qatar's heavy industrial base, located in Messaieed, includes a refinery with a 140,000 bpd capacity, a fertilizer plant for urea and ammonia, a steel plant, and a petrochemical plant, and several new petrochemical plants were planned to be built in the coming years. All these industries use gas for fuel. Most are joint ventures between U.S., European, and Japanese firms and the state-owned Qatar Petroleum (QP). The U.S. was the major equipment supplier for Qatar's oil and gas industry, and U.S. companies played a major role in the development of the oil and gas sector and petrochemicals.
When [[Iranian]] strikes damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan complex — the single largest [[LNG]] export facility in the world — and QatarEnergy declared ''force majeure'' in early March 2026, roughly 10 billion cubic feet per day of supply, about 20% of globally traded LNG, went offline. Kpler tanker data showed no laden LNG vessel crossing the strait for months afterward. The [[World Bank]]'s natural gas price index jumped 24% in a single month. [[Europe]]'s benchmark was projected to climb roughly 25% across 2026, because LNG frequently sets the marginal price there; [[Asia]], which takes the overwhelming majority of Qatari cargoes, was hit hardest as buyers scrambled to replace contracted deliveries on the spot market. If combat operations were to end, it is estimated to take up to three years to restore the Ras Laffen facility.
Liquefied gas is a seaborne product by definition — it is liquefied precisely because it cannot be piped across oceans. The one producer large enough, the United States, cannot plug the supply gap to [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], or [[India]]. American liquefaction terminals take years and billions to build; the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expected [[U.S.]] [[export]]s to rise by only a small fraction of the missing Qatari volumes, with meaningful new capacity trickling in through late 2026 at best.
==History==
==History==