Dozens injured and 18 missing after blast during restart at giant Qatar LNG site
An explosion struck during a restart procedure at QatarEnergy's giant LNG facility in Ras Laffan port, CNBC reports. Eighteen workers are missing, dozens were injured and the company has launched a full investigation as production from the affected train remains halted.
CNBC reports that an explosion hit the seventh production train at QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan LNG complex during a restart following extensive maintenance. The blast struck after an uncontrolled pressure anomaly. The company confirmed that 18 workers are missing at the site and that 46 workers were injured to varying degrees.
Qatar's interior ministry said rescue teams were continuing firefighting work around the immediate blast zone. QatarEnergy chief executive Saad al-Kaabi, in a brief statement to global customers, said « production on Train Seven is temporarily halted; all other trains remain in operation ». The company confirmed that its 110-million-tonne annual LNG production target remained on plan for the year.
Global energy markets reacted on the spot side rather than the front-month: the Asian JKM LNG spot price rose to $11.80 per MMBtu, while the European TTF benchmark climbed 3.2%. Brent crude rose to $82.40. The International Energy Agency said it was monitoring the situation closely. Kuwait and the UAE offered emergency assistance, while Algeria's Sonatrach put interim LNG cargoes on the table.
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