QatarEnergy halts LNG production after Iran drone attacks

Qatar is one of the world’s largest providers of LNG. About 20% of global LNG exports come from the Gulf, primarily Qatar, and are shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, according to energy consulting firm Kpler.

Qatar’s Defense Ministry said earlier that two drones launched from Iran had struck facilities in the country, although there were no casualties. QatarEnergy, a state-owned energy company, said the attack hit its facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City.

Iran launched missiles at U.S. allies across the Gulf over the weekend in retaliation for massive strikes by the U.S. and Israel that killed the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery was attacked by a drone, an industry source told CNBC. The refinery has been closed as a precautionary measure, the source said.

LNG is a type of natural gas that is super cooled at minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit into a liquid state and loaded on tankers for transport around the world. Natural gas is used primarily for electricity production.

— CNBC’s Emma Graham contributed to this report.