Shell has partially restarted its Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) complex in Qatar, restoring limited production after months of disruption, although shipping restrictions through the Strait of Hormuz continue to constrain exports and delay a broader recovery in Gulf energy supplies.
Shell confirmed on 8 October that operations had partially resumed at the Ras Laffan facility, allowing limited inventories to be rebuilt. Repairs to its damaged second processing train are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.
Pearl, one of the world’s largest GTL facilities, has the capacity to produce 140,000 barrels of liquid products daily, including transport fuels, naphtha and premium lubricant feedstocks. Its disruption in March tightened supplies to Asian petrochemical and industrial markets.
Naphtha Exports Signal Recovery
Reuters reported that QatarEnergy had offered up to 50,000 tonnes of naphtha, including Pearl GTL grades, through a spot tender. Contractual deliveries have also resumed to selected buyers, including India’s Haldia Petrochemicals.
The renewed supply could ease regional naphtha premiums and support Asian petrochemical producers. However, freight costs, insurance premiums and continuing security risks threaten to offset those gains.
LNG Recovery Faces a Longer Road
Qatar’s wider energy recovery remains uneven. The first train of the North Field East LNG expansion is expected to begin commissioning in November, with initial production targeted for early 2027. Separately, damage affecting approximately 17% of Qatar’s existing LNG capacity could take several years to repair.
Pearl’s restart marks progress in restoring Qatar’s industrial output, but production recovery alone cannot normalise energy markets. Until secure shipping through Hormuz is restored, higher transport costs and constrained export flows will continue to limit the benefits of returning Gulf supply, sustaining pressure on Asian energy buyers and international fuel markets.
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