Key Middle East Energy Targets Under Attack

Key Energy Facilities Targeted in the Middle East Conflict

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has led to significant disruptions in energy supply, with several critical facilities coming under attack. Here is a detailed look at some of the key energy infrastructure that has been affected.

Ras Laffan – Qatar’s Largest LNG Hub

Ras Laffan in Qatar is the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub and has been repeatedly targeted by Iranian strikes since the war began. Recently, it suffered “extensive damage” after back-to-back waves of attacks, according to state-run QatarEnergy. Early Thursday, the company reported “sizeable fires” and significant damage at several LNG facilities at the hub. The interior ministry later confirmed that all fires had been contained.

This follows an earlier attack on the Ras Laffan Industrial City on Wednesday, which caused extensive damage to a gas-to-liquids facility. Qatar shares the world’s largest natural gas reservoir with Iran, and QatarEnergy estimates the Gulf state’s portion holds about 10 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves. In recent years, Qatar has signed long-term LNG deals with major international companies such as Total, Shell, Petronet, Sinopec, and Eni.

Earlier this month, Iranian attacks forced QatarEnergy to halt LNG production and declare force majeure.

South Pars – Iran’s Major Gas Field

Iran’s strikes on Ras Laffan came after its South Pars gas field was hit on Wednesday. The South Pars/North Dome mega-field is the largest known gas reserve in the world and is shared by Iran and Qatar. Around 70 percent of Iran’s domestic natural gas comes from its portion of the field, which it calls South Pars. The attack caused a fire, as reported by Iranian state television.

The attack was condemned by some of Iran’s Gulf neighbors, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, who have seen energy facilities in their countries come under repeated Iranian attack. US President Donald Trump claimed that Israel carried out the attack and that Washington “knew nothing” about it. However, he warned that if Iran continued attacks against Qatar, US forces would “massively blow up the entirety” of the South Pars field.

Kharg Island – Iran’s Oil Export Hub

Kharg Island, located around 30 kilometers off Iran’s mainland, serves as a hub for roughly 90 percent of the country’s crude oil exports. It was hit in US strikes on Saturday, but Iranian officials stated that exports were continuing normally and there were no casualties. Trump had previously threatened to target the island’s oil infrastructure if Iran continued to block the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for energy and other exports from the region.

Iran has pledged to block all oil exports through the strait and has targeted vessels attempting to transit the narrow chokepoint, causing significant disruptions to exports reliant on the passage.

Ruwais Refinery – Abu Dhabi’s Major Facility

The Ruwais oil refinery, located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, is the world’s fourth-largest single-site refinery, according to state-owned operator Adnoc. Operations there were halted earlier this month as a “precaution” following a drone attack on the industrial complex housing the facility, according to a source who spoke to Jendela Magazine. The source did not specify whether the refinery had been directly hit, and Adnoc did not make an official announcement.

Ras Tanura – Saudi Arabia’s Key Refinery

The Ras Tanura facility along Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in the entire Middle East and is a cornerstone of the kingdom’s energy sector. The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day and has been repeatedly targeted in Iranian strikes, including a drone attack early in the conflict that caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown of the refinery.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed source, that operations had now resumed at the facility. According to the International Energy Agency, Gulf countries’ output of oil and oil products has dropped from 30 million barrels per day last year, excluding Oman, to 20 million currently.

The president of Aramco, which operates the Ras Tanura refinery, has warned that the war could have “catastrophic consequences” on oil markets. On Thursday, oil prices surged more than five percent, with Brent spiking to a peak of over $112 a barrel.