(PeterHermesFurion/Getty Images)
key takeaways:
- At least 54 people were injured and 18 were missing in an explosion at Qatar’s Ras Laffan gas export facility on June 21 as workers were trying to restart operations following the Iranian attacks.
- The explosion at the Barzan facility raises risks to global energy markets as top gas producer Qatar struggles to restart exports disrupted by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
- QatarEnergy and officials are assessing the damage and continuing search and rescue efforts, while uncertainty remains when production and export operations will fully resume.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – An explosion at Qatar’s major natural gas export terminal on June 21, when workers tried to restart operations there after bombing by Iran during the war, led to a fire that injured at least 54 people, while others were still missing 18 hours later.
The explosion at the Ras Laffan industrial zone could cause further chaos in global energy markets, especially as Qatar remains one of the world’s top natural gas producers. Qatar halted its production following Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which meant it could not deliver shipments to its customers.
As talks continue on a permanent end to the war as Iran loosens its grip on the strait, Qatar has begun efforts to reopen its export terminal. State company QatarEnergy said that work on June 21 caused an explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility.
The scale of damage following the explosion remains unknown, with officials initially saying only a few people were injured. But hours later, Qatar’s interior ministry offered a far higher casualty figure.
The Barzan plant had a capacity of approximately 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day, which Qatar used primarily for local power generation and to power its vital water desalination plants in the desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula.
The total number of people injured in the incident, which took place at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City, has reached (54). The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Forces (Lekhwiya), in collaboration with civil protection teams, is searching… – Ministry of Interior – Qatar (@MOI_QatarEn) 22 June 2026
Qatar owns almost the entire plant, with ExxonMobil also owning a small portion. The oil company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In March, an Iranian missile struck Ras Laffan, causing a fire and “extensive” damage before being extinguished, officials said. Qatar had already halted production there due to Iranian attacks.
Qatar shares its vast offshore natural gas fields in the Persian Gulf with Iran. Natural gas production has made Qatar wealthy. It has used that money to raise its profile around the world through hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, creating the Al Jazeera news network and funding its work as an international mediator, including talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States.
