BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 20. Shell plc has confirmed significant operational disruptions at its Qatar energy facilities following attacks on key energy infrastructure in Ras Laffan Industrial City, TurkicWorld reports.
The company says the safety and security of its employees and contractors remains the highest priority as work continues with local authorities and partners to assess the situation.
The Pearl GTL (gas‑to‑liquids) facility — a joint venture operated by Shell and QatarEnergy — has stopped production completely to allow a full assessment of damage after one of its two trains was struck during the attacks on 18 March 2026. Prior to the incident, the plant was already producing at reduced rates, with exports constrained by broader regional disruptions.
A fire broke out within the facility as a result of the attack but was "rapidly extinguished," and the company reports the site is now under control. All personnel on site at the time were accounted for and unharmed.
Shell says it is working with QatarEnergy and relevant authorities to understand the extent of damage not only to Pearl GTL but also to the wider Ras Laffan energy complex.
Shell also confirmed that liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Qatar has been shut down since early March, following earlier attacks on the LNG facilities in the same industrial zone. These disruptions have led to halts in output and ongoing assessments of damage across multiple assets.
Pearl GTL is one of the world’s largest GTL facilities, designed to convert natural gas into liquid hydrocarbon products such as gasoil, naphtha and other fuels. The project, developed in partnership between Shell and QatarEnergy, is based in Ras Laffan Industrial City — Qatar’s main energy hub and one of the world’s biggest centers for LNG and gas‑to‑liquids production.
The plant’s two processing trains were built to handle large volumes of natural gas from Qatar’s North Field, turning them into high‑value liquid products that are used globally in transport, industry and other sectors.
Ras Laffan Industrial City also hosts massive LNG export terminals — crucial to global gas markets — as well as other processing, refining and petrochemical facilities. The region’s energy infrastructure has been a key driver of both Qatar’s economy and wider global gas supply.
Shell says it is continuing detailed inspections to determine the full scale of damage at Pearl GTL and surrounding facilities. The company has not yet provided a timeline for restarting production.
The situation adds to broader regional energy security concerns after a series of strikes hit Gulf energy infrastructure, leading to disruptions in LNG and gas‑to‑liquids production across Qatar’s energy hub.
