The Qatari state-owned petroleum company Qatar Petroleum will award the first contracts for its LNG production expansion project by the end of 2019. The project was announced at the beginning of June 2018 and will help the country to ramp up domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG) production from the current 77 Mt/year to 100 Mt/year by the end of 2023, once the 23 Mt/year new gas project in the southern sector of the North Dome field is commissioned.
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%).