Key facts
- Missile strikes during the US-Iran conflict damaged energy infrastructure in the Gulf region.
- Seven energy complexes in Qatar, UAE, and other nations sustained damage.
- The estimated cost to restore the damaged infrastructure is $46 billion.
- Restoration efforts could take around three years.
- Iran likely targeted heat exchangers, critical components of the plants.
Missile strikes during the military conflict between the U.S. and Iran have caused significant damage to oil and gas facilities across the Gulf region. An analysis of satellite imagery and on-the-ground footage by Nikkei identified damage at seven major energy complexes, including Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar, a key hub for liquefied natural gas.
Go Matsuo, managing director of the Energy Economics and Society Research Institute, who assisted Nikkei with the analysis, stated that Iran likely targeted heat exchangers, which are critical pieces of equipment in these plants. He estimates that restoration could take approximately three years.
The total cost to repair the damaged infrastructure is estimated at $46 billion. Japanese companies, once dominant in the region's energy projects, are now facing increased competition from China and India for reconstruction contracts.