In the early 1990s, Qatar was grappling with a period of economic strain - high debt levels and weak state revenues were weighing heavily on its finances. To try to transform its fortunes the small Gulf state made a decisive bet on natural gas. It would develop its vast offshore gas reserves, and – crucially – super chill the gas into LNG (liquified natural gas) for transportation by ship to countries around the world. That decision led to the creation of Ras Laffan - an industrial city on the