Qatar Pauses Plan to Ramp Up LNG Output After Tanker Attack in the Strait of Hormuz

Qatar's state energy company QatarEnergy paused its plan to ramp up production at the Ras Laffan complex, the world's largest LNG facility, after the Qatari tanker Al Rekayyat was struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 (16 Tir 1405). According to a Bloomberg report dated July 9 (18 Tir), QatarEnergy CEO Saad al Kaabi decided to halt the output increase following meetings held after the attack, keeping operations at a minimum for safety and reducing the number of vessels scheduled to dock at the complex in the coming days. Business Standard (tbsnews.net) reported that Ras Laffan may not fully resume normal operations before August. Qatar is the world's second largest LNG exporter, and the pause could tighten global gas supply heading into the winter season.