{"id":93832,"date":"2026-03-20T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T03:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=93832"},"modified":"2026-03-20T11:02:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:32:39","slug":"ras-laffan-attack-threatens-indias-energy-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/ras-laffan-attack-threatens-indias-energy-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Ras Laffan Attack: How Ras Laffan Attack Threatens India\u2019s Energy Security"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Ras Laffan Attack Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iranian missiles struck <\/span><b>Ras Laffan Industrial City<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Qatar \u2014 home to the world&#8217;s biggest LNG facility \u2014 hours after Israel hit South Pars, the world&#8217;s largest natural gas field shared between Iran and Qatar.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The attack has major implications for global LNG supply and India&#8217;s energy security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>The Attack &amp; Its Escalation<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Israel struck <\/span><b>South Pars gas field;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Iran retaliated by targeting energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia (Samref refinery, Yanbu), Kuwait, and <\/span><b>Qatar&#8217;s Ras Laffan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ras Laffan accounts for roughly one-fifth of global LNG supply \u2014 its production, liquefaction, and export units are all concentrated there.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brent crude, already above $100\/barrel, briefly hit $119 before settling at ~$112 \u2014 about 50% above pre-war levels.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar had already suspended LNG production earlier this month following a smaller attack; the latest strikes caused sizable fires and extensive damage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why Ras Laffan Strike Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unclear how long gas output will take to normalise even if the war stops.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns have moved <\/span><b>upstream<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to production and supply infrastructure, not just transit routes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">US President Trump stated Washington had no advance knowledge of the Israeli attack and warned Israel against further strikes on South Pars, threatening to <\/span><b>&#8220;blow up the entirety&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of South Pars if Qatar&#8217;s LNG facilities were attacked.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strategic Importance of Ras Laffan<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ras Laffan accounts for roughly <strong>one-fifth<\/strong> of global LNG supply.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disruptions here directly affect global LNG flows and energy security.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar had already suspended production temporarily after earlier attacks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why Ras Laffan Matters for India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India imports ~88% of crude oil and ~50% of its gas needs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar supplies ~<\/span><b>one-third of India&#8217;s LPG and nearly half of its LNG<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier disruptions were limited to Strait of Hormuz shipping delays; now, physical damage to processing facilities makes recovery far slower and uncertain<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>India&#8217;s LNG Dependency<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Qatar is India&#8217;s <\/span><b>largest LNG source<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 India depends on LNG for roughly half its natural gas demand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over <\/span><b>two-fifths of India&#8217;s LNG<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes from Qatar, almost entirely from Ras Laffan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2024\u201325, India imported 27 million tonnes of LNG; 11.2 million tonnes (41.4%) came from Qatar.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">QatarEnergy&#8217;s production capacity is 77 million TPA, expanding to ~81 million TPA by 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Impact on Long-Term Gas Contracts<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s major energy firms hold long-term supply agreements with Qatar:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Petronet LNG imports about 7.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GSPC imports around 1 MTPA<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GAIL imports smaller volumes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India consumes <\/span><b>~189 MMSCMD<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of natural gas but produces only <\/span><b>~90 MMSCMD<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> domestically.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gulf import disruptions and force majeure declarations are now squeezing the gap.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Broader Economic Implications for India<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rising fuel costs may increase inflation and fiscal pressure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Government and oil companies may have to absorb price shocks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LPG shortages and delays indicate early signs of domestic stress.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Qatar as a Trade Partner \u2014 Added Stakes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilateral trade touched $<\/span><b>14 billion+<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2024\u201325, dominated by energy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India imports LNG, LPG, and petrochemicals; exports cereals, machinery, and metals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prolonged conflict risks disrupting both energy supply and trade balance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India Diversifying Away from the Gulf<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, ~60% of LPG imports came from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. India is now sourcing from: <\/span><b>US, Norway, Canada, Algeria, and Russia<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This reduces geopolitical risk but <\/span><b>raises costs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due to longer shipping routes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/world\/israel-iran-energy-conflict-gas-fields-oil-prices-surge-10590220\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/business\/india-business\/how-irans-strikes-on-qatars-ras-laffan-worlds-largest-lng-hub-other-middle-east-oil-gas-infra-will-impact-india\/amp_articleshow\/129682405.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ToI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/sundayguardianlive.com\/world\/why-irans-attack-on-qatar-ras-laffan-energy-hub-is-bad-news-for-indias-oil-gas-supply-amid-escalating-middle-east-conflict-177582\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TSG<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ras Laffan attack impacts global LNG supply and India\u2019s energy security, raising risks of inflation, supply disruption, and dependence on Gulf energy imports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":93842,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,6227,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-93832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-ras-raffan-attack","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93832"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93845,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93832\/revisions\/93845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}