Qatar cuts 50 percent of workforce at major LNG project over Israeli-US war on Iran

Work at QatarEnergy’s huge North Field Expansion liquefied natural gas project has slowed sharply as the war on Iran enters its third week.

A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that the workforce at the site has been reduced to below 50 percent, citing security concerns linked to the regional conflict.

The development follows an earlier decision by Qatar to halt production at its existing 77 million tonnes-per-year LNG facility and declare force majeure on shipments.

The North Field expansion is one of the world’s most important energy projects and aims to boost the country’s LNG output to 126 million tonnes per year by 2027.

Qatar is currently the second-largest exporter of LNG globally, meaning disruptions to its projects could have wider implications for global energy markets already strained by the conflict.