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Qatari energy firm declares force majeure on LNG contracts with Korea, China, Italy, Belgium: Reports

Published: 25 Mar. 2026, 08:37

QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, is seen on March 2 amid the Iran war. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A Qatari state-owned energy company on Tuesday declared force majeure on its long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contracts with Korea, China, Italy and Belgium due to damage caused by last week's missile attacks on its facilities, reports said.

QatarEnergy made the declaration, Reuters, Al Jazeera and RIA Novosti reported, after the company said Friday that missile attacks on Wednesday and Thursday damaged facilities in Ras Laffan, an industrial city in Qatar, affecting about 17 percent of Qatar's exports.

Force majeure is a contract clause that excuses a party from performing its obligations when unforeseeable circumstances beyond its control make performance impossible.

The attacks on Qatar's LNG facilities came amid the ongoing Iran war, which has effectively choked off the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route, pushing up oil prices and escalating energy security concerns.

Qatari Minister of Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi has said that the damage to the LNG facilities will take three to five years to repair, according to a release posted on QatarEnergy's website.

Yonhap