Qatar's LNG Expansion Delayed Until 2027 Amid Hormuz Disruptions
Qatar's Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi expects the country's massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion to start producing in 2027, not 2026 as previously anticipated. The first production train at North Field East, the initial phase of Qatar's LNG expansion, is expected to come online in the first half of 2027.
Al-Kaabi warned that shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz could delay some of Qatar's LNG expansion plans and the start of additional production trains. He said it will depend a lot on the Hormuz Strait for the additional trains, as a prolonged disruption could push back the timeline.
The North Field South project, the second phase of the project, is slated to come online in 2028. Qatar's energy chief also stated that the country is pivoting to become a larger trader of LNG and is handling more LNG outside the Persian Gulf with the start of its Golden Pass export facility in the US.
Al-Kaabi predicted that Qatar will be the largest LNG trader in the world by far, saying 'we will be, in the very near future, the largest LNG trader in the world by far'. He also stated that Shell's Pearl GTL facility in Qatar will resume production in the first quarter of 2027.