Qatar LNG Expansion Delayed Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Qatar's energy chief expects the start-up of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion in 2027, according to Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi. The first production train at North Field East is expected to come online in the first half of 2027.

Al-Kaabi also warned that a prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz could delay some of its LNG expansion plans and the start of additional production trains, citing the strait's importance for the project's progress. The North Field South project is slated to come online in 2028.

The disruptions have already sent shockwaves through Qatar's economy, as natural gas revenue has all but evaporated and the country has no alternative shipping routes to bypass the strait. Qatar is expected to suffer an economic contraction of more than 8 per cent in 2026, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Al-Kaabi also stated that Qatar will never be obsolete when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's prediction that the waterway will be worthless in two years is incorrect. The country is currently exporting a very small amount of LNG through the strait, Al-Kaabi said.