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LNG Shutdowns and Refinery Halts Complicate Global Energy Outlook

Middle‑East hostilities have forced Qatar to shut its flagship LNG export plant and Saudi Arabia to pause operations at its largest oil refinery, while tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped. The disruptions arrive amid a global oil‑and‑gas oversupply, creating immediate supply gaps for Asian importers and prompting a scramble for alternative deliveries. Analysts warn that prolonged conflict could reshape energy markets, accelerating both a turn to coal in some regions and a push for renewables elsewhere. Policy responses will hinge on how price volatility interacts with financing constraints for clean‑energy projects.