Qatar state-owned oil and gas company Qatar Petroleum is considering debottlenecking its LNG production facilities in Ras Laffan, to raise its production capacity and to be able to process additional gas to be produced in the North Field project.
In April 2017, Qatar Petroleum announced plans to develop a new gas project with a capacity of around 2 bcf/d (nearly 21 bcm/year) in the North Field. Additional gas would be exported. The group has thus signed an agreement with Chiyoda to conduct a feasibility study to remove bottlenecks at its liquefaction trains; the study will be completed before the end of 2017 and Qatar Petroleum could start its expansion project in early 2018.
Qatar is currently the largest LNG producer worldwide, thanks to 14 liquefaction trains with a cumulated capacity of 77 Mt/year. The Qatargas complex includes three 3.2 Mt/year trains (Qatargas I, 1996-1998) and four 7.8 Mt/year trains grouped in Qatargas II (2009), Qatargas III (2010) and Qatargas IV (2011). The Ras Laffan complex includes two 3.3 Mt/year trains (Ras Laffan I, 1999), three 4.7 Mt/year trains (Ras Laffan II, 1999-2007) and two 7.8 Mt/year trains (Ras Laffan III, 2009-2010). Qatar Petroleum holds a majority stake in all trains (from 65% to 70%).