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QatarEnergy (QE) will target 142 million tonnes per year of LNG production before 2030, up from its previous goal of 126mn tpy by 2027.
QE president and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, also the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, set out the plans for the expansion at a press conference in Doha on February 25.
The company sees greater potential for LNG production based on recent drilling results. The North Field extends to the west, Al-Kaabi said, citing recent appraisal drilling and testing.
QE has found another 240 trillion cubic feet at the field. Qatar’s part of the North Field now holds more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet. It also increased condensate reserves to more than 80 billion barrels, from 70bn.
As a result, QE will build a new LNG facility at Ras Laffan.
The company “has focused its efforts and attention on determining how far west the North Field’s productive layers extend in order to evaluate the production potential from those areas”, he said.
“These great efforts have confirmed, through technical tests of the appraisal wells, the extension of the North Field’s productive layers further towards the west, which means the ability to produce significant additional quantities of gas from this new sector.”
The finds will “take Qatar’s gas industry to new horizons, as they will enable us to begin developing a new LNG project from the North Field’s western sector”.
Basic engineering
The company expects to complete the construction of the new 16mn tpy facility “before the end of this decade. This represents an increase of almost 85% compared to current production levels.”
QE will immediately begin basic engineering work on the North Field West (NFW) project.
QatarEnergy is currently working on the North Field East (NFE) project, due online in 2026, and North Field South (NFS), starting up in 2027. The $28.75bn NFE has capacity of 32mn tpy, taking Qatari production to 110mn tpy. NFS will take the state to 126mn tpy.
QE has chosen to partner with IOCs on its major LNG projects. It may well continue this strategy with its newest expansion plan.
