An explosion tore through Qatar’s key natural gas export terminal Sunday night as workers tried to resume operations after Iran bombed it during the war, causing a fire that killed at least 13 people and hurt dozens more.
Global Energy Markets Affected
The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial area could cause further chaos in global energy markets, as Qatar remains one of the world’s top natural gas producers. Qatar shut down its production after Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz meant it couldn’t get shipments out to clients.
With Iran loosening its grip on the strait as negotiations continue over a permanent end to the war, Qatar began work to try to restart its export terminal. That work sparked the explosion and fire at the Barzan gas supply facility, state-run QatarEnergy said.
The Barzan plant had a capacity of almost 1.4 billion standard cubic feet of sales gas per day, which Qatar used primarily for local electricity generation and to power its crucial water desalination plants in the desert reaches of the Arabian Peninsula.
Strait of Hormuz Importance
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow bending waterway in the Persian Gulf, and a trade route between the Middle East and the rest of the world that has global impact. The strait lies between Iran on one side and Arab Gulf states on the other, the latter of which includes several key US allies.
Around 20% of the world’s traded crude oil and a similar share of natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, much of it destined for markets in Asia. It has only two shipping lanes, but it is deep enough for supertankers.
Original reporting: WLKY Louisville — read the source article.
