Explosion and Fire at Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City

An explosion and fire occurred on Sunday at the Barzan gas plant within Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, which houses state-owned QatarEnergy's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities. The incident resulted in over 50 injuries and damage to the Barzan facility, which supplies gas to the domestic market. The operator was already working to resume full LNG production after Iranian missiles hit Train 4 and Train 6 (with a combined capacity of 12.8 million tonnes per annum) in March during the Middle East conflict. Qatar's total nameplate liquefaction capacity is 77 million tonnes per annum, which is being increased in phases.

Casualties and Search Operations

Qatar's Ministry of Interior reported via X that 54 people were injured in the incident at a factory in Ras Laffan Industrial City, without specifying the extent of injuries. The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), in cooperation with Civil Defence teams, is conducting search operations for 18 missing persons. Earlier, the ministry stated that "several people" were injured due to a "technical accident" and confirmed there was no leak posing a threat to public safety.

QatarEnergy's Response and Facility Details

QatarEnergy confirmed an "operational incident" during start-up operations at Ras Laffan Industrial City, leading to an explosion and fire at the Barzan local gas supply facility on the evening of Sunday, 21 June. Emergency response teams were deployed to contain the fire, which is now under control. Commissioned in 2022, the Barzan facility supplies pipeline gas to local industries and Qatar's power generation sector, as well as associated hydrocarbon products to local refineries, petrochemical industries, and international markets. According to QatarEnergy's website, the facility can provide 1.4 billion cubic feet per day of sales gas to local power generation, water desalination plants, and industries. It also has production capacity for ethane, condensate, liquid petroleum gas, and sulphur for local markets and export. QatarEnergy stated it would continue to communicate the latest available information.