Qatar Attack Slashes LNG Exports by 17%, Fuel Prices Likely to Rise in India and Nepal

Kathmandu: A massive missile attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City has dealt a major blow to global energy supplies. According to QatarEnergy, the attack carried out on March 18, 2026 damaged key LNG production facilities and reduced the country’s LNG export capacity by about 17 percent, with full repairs expected to take three to five years. The company estimates an annual revenue loss of nearly $20 billion due to the damage. The disruption is likely to create serious challenges for countries such as India, which relies heavily on LNG imports from Qatar, and the impact is expected to be felt indirectly in Nepal as well. Since Nepal imports petroleum products and cooking gas through India, any rise in global gas prices could lead to higher fuel costs and inflation in the Nepali market. The incident has also raised concerns over the safety of thousands of Nepali workers employed in Qatar.