MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/. Recent events at Middle Eastern energy facilities will lead to long-term and large-scale consequences, Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller told TASS, commenting on the situation in energy markets.

"The recent extraordinary events at energy facilities in the Middle East are leading to consequences of incredible scale and long-term impact," he said.

Miller noted that it is now the time of "bulls" (investors or traders who believe that stock prices, sectors, or the entire market will rise - TASS).

"Figuratively speaking, the situation on international energy markets and its future dynamics can be described as follows: only the bears are resting, and only the bulls are working hard," he added.

At the start of trading on the ICE in London on Thursday, the price of gas exceeded $850 per 1,000 cubic meters for the first time since December 2022. This occurred against the backdrop of attacks on gas infrastructure in Middle Eastern countries. The surge in prices since the beginning of the day exceeded 30%. The price of gas in Europe has jumped almost $200 compared to the close of the previous trading session.

On the market situation

Following missile strikes, Qatar Energy, the state-owned oil and gas company of Qatar, reported significant damage to its facility in Ras Laffan, where its LNG plant is located.

The work at Abu Dhabi's largest natural gas processing complex, Habshan, has been temporarily halted following a missile attack by Iran, according to the emirate's authorities.

On Wednesday, the governor of Assalluyeh district in Iran's Bushehr province reported that a fire broke out at several facilities in the South Pars field as a result of an Israeli and US strike. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, the elite unit of the Iranian Armed Forces) announced its intention to attack oil and gas facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar in the near future.