QatarEnergy Ditches Pipeline Option for LNG Exports

QatarEnergy has ruled out using pipelines as an alternative route for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, according to President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi. Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum 2026 in New York, Al-Kaabi explained that LNG cannot be simply redirected through pipelines because it must first be transported as natural gas and then liquefied at receiving facilities.

This would require building redundant facilities to those already being constructed in Qatar as part of the North Field expansion project, which would make no economic sense, Al-Kaabi said. He added that QatarEnergy had decided against a pipeline alternative based on commercial and technical criteria.

Al-Kaabi also provided an update on damage sustained by Qatar's gas infrastructure, saying attacks on Ras Laffan had affected two LNG trains and a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant. Repairs on the GTL train will be concluded in the first quarter of 2027, but it will take three years for repairs on the two LNG trains.

Qatar would be able to resume normal LNG operations within weeks once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, Al-Kaabi said.