Ras Laffan LNG & Qatar LNG: a mid-July output pull-back, read from orbit

Two liquefaction complexes behind the Strait of Hormuz — Ras Laffan LNG and Qatar LNG, both operated by QatarEnergy — account for roughly 77 MTPA of Qatar's LNG export capacity. Production halted in early March 2026 after the Hormuz closure, restarted through June, and peaked in early July near 59% of nameplate, with four trains lit at each complex. The mid-July passes read a pull-back.

Ras Laffan LNG (Qatar)

Ras Laffan LNG — QatarEnergy's flagship complex at 25.89°N, 51.54°E on Qatar's northeast coast — carries a 36.3 MTPA nameplate across seven trains. On the 15 July Landsat pass two trains read active, about 12.5 MTPA (~34% of nameplate), down from four trains (~19.1 MTPA, ~53%) a week earlier.

Ras Laffan LNG, Qatar — SWIR thermal, Sentinel-2, 12 July 2026. Four of seven liquefaction trains active.

Ras Laffan LNG, Qatar — SWIR thermal, Landsat 9, 15 July 2026. Two trains active — the mid-July pull-back.

Qatar LNG (Qatar)

Qatar LNG — the second Qatari complex, 25.91°N, 51.55°E, 40.8 MTPA across seven trains — followed the same path: four trains at the early-July peak (~26.6 MTPA, ~65%), back to two by 15 July, about 15.6 MTPA (~38%).

Qatar LNG terminal, Qatar — SWIR thermal, Sentinel-2, 12 July 2026. Trains 5 and 7 active.

Qatar LNG terminal, Qatar — SWIR thermal, Landsat 9, 15 July 2026. Trains 6 and 7 active.

Das Island LNG Terminal (UAE)

Across the water, the UAE's Das Island LNG terminal — 25.16°N, 52.87°E, 6 MTPA across three trains — moved the other way, ramping to about 3.4 MTPA (~57%) as the Qatari complexes eased.

Announced vs. observed

QatarEnergy guided buyers to roughly 50% of capacity within a month of safe passage and around 80% within two. The satellite record shows the restart overshooting to ~59% in early July, then retracing to ~36% combined Qatari output by mid-July — a reminder that a single peak pass is not a trend. The next confirmation is commercial: Ras Laffan tanker loadings and a step in QatarEnergy's cargo nominations.

Track it train by train on the Ras Laffan and Qatar LNG satellite tracker.

Imagery: modified Copernicus Sentinel-2 data · Landsat imagery courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.