Qatar’s LNG Hub Faces Weeks-to-Month Restart Crunch

QatarEnergy declared force majeure on LNG exports after Ras Laffan disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz closure amid Middle East conflict. Restarting the world’s largest LNG hub will be slow—weeks to months—as storage fills and trains are brought back online sequentially to avoid thermal shock. Qatar accounts for about 20% of global LNG exports, and with U.S. capacity limited and European/Asian prices up around 50%, global gas markets could face a multi-week deficit before production normalizes. Several U.S. projects aim to add capacity by 2030 to mitigate future shocks.