Qatar has invited international oil and gas majors — including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell and Total — to file bids for the expansion of the Qatari part of the world’s largest gas field and the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, told Bloomberg TV, which was reporting the 40th annual Oil & Money Conference in London.
Qatar has announced plans to increase its LNG production capacity by 43 percent — from 77 million tons annually now to 110 million tons annually in five years’ time. The new export capacity includes expansion projects set to be completed in 2024. Qatar will be competing with Australia and the United States over the next few years for the world’s top LNG exporter title.
Qatar, the biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is expanding the North Field in its drive to boost gas output to 110 million tons per year by 2024 from about 77 million currently. Australia will likely overtake Qatar as an LNG exporter in 2020, according to an Australian government report.
“With respect to greenhouse gas emissions, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in our North Field LNG Expansion Project to apply technologies that will result in a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to similar facilities through substantial reduction of fuel gas consumption and capturing and re-injecting Carbon dioxide extracted from the feed gas,” said Al-Kaabi told the audience.
Qatar also is expanding capacity outside of the country, including adding 16 mmty from the Golden Pass LNG export project with long-term strategic partner ExxonMobil Corp Golden Pass. To be built in Sabine Pass, TX, the project was sanctioned in February and like Qatar’s new mega-trains, it is also is set to begin operations in 2024. The partners have established Ocean LNG to all production marketing.
