Exclusive Report - Sources say Qatar Energy's liquefied natural gas expansion project will start production in November
路透社2026/10/07 14:06Quotations and background information were added in paragraphs 3–4 and 5–9. Marwa Rashad / Reuters London, October 7 – According to two sources familiar with the matter, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) production line under QatarEnergy’s “North Field East” expansion project will begin operations in November. This will offer Qatar a way to compensate for some of the production lost as a result of Iran’s attack. As Qatar is still recovering from the damage caused by the attack on Ras Laffan, the commissioning of this production line marks a major milestone for the world’s largest LNG expansion project—after the incident at Ras Laffan led to a 17% loss in the country’s LNG production capacity. Sources expect the production line to begin producing LNG in the first quarter of 2027. QatarEnergy has not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment. Saad al-Kaabi, CEO of QatarEnergy, stated last month that although tensions between the US and Israel and Iran had disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the project was still scheduled to commence production in the first half of 2027. Mehdy Touil, chief LNG expert at Calypso Commodities—a company focused on AI solutions for the LNG sector—noted that the next key step will be introducing feed gas, followed by a gradual ramp-up over several weeks until the first LNG is produced. “For sustained output growth, unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz would eventually be necessary, but I expect QatarEnergy will bring the first North Field East production line online regardless,” he added. Iran’s attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility in March damaged two LNG production lines, and repairs are expected to take as long as three years; a gas-to-liquids plant was also hit, with repairs scheduled for completion in Q1 2027. Last month, al-Kaabi said that despite the infrastructural damage, once the strait reopens, Qatar will return to normal gas operations within weeks, adding that current LNG output at QatarEnergy remains extremely low. (Reuters automatically translates its reports into several other languages to assist non-English speakers. As automated translation may contain errors or lack necessary context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of these texts and provides them for the reader’s convenience only. Reuters accepts no liability for any loss or damage that arises from the use of its automated translation service.)
Quotes and background information were added in paragraphs 3-4 and 5-9
Marwa Rashad
Reuters London, October 7 - According to two sources familiar with the matter, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) production line under QatarEnergy's “North Field East” expansion project will start operations in November, providing Qatar with a way to make up for lost output caused by Iran's attacks.
As Qatar is still recovering from the damage caused by the attack on Ras Laffan, the commissioning of this production line will mark an important milestone in the world’s largest LNG expansion project—previously, the Ras Laffan incident resulted in a 17% loss of the country’s LNG production capacity (link).
According to the sources, this production line is expected to begin producing LNG in the first quarter of 2027.
QatarEnergy has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said last month (link) that despite the outbreak of war against Iran by the US and Israel (link), which has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the project is still expected to start production in the first half of 2027.
Mehdy Touil, chief LNG expert at Calypso Commodities—a company focused on developing artificial intelligence solutions in the LNG sector—said the next crucial step will be to introduce feed gas, followed by gradual progress over several weeks until the first LNG production is achieved.
“To achieve sustained increases in output, unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz will eventually be needed, but I expect that QatarEnergy can bring the first production line of (North Field East) online regardless,” he added.
The March Iranian attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility damaged two LNG production lines, which could take three years to repair; in addition, a gas-to-liquids plant was also damaged, and repairs to this facility are scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
Kaabi said last month that, despite the facility damage, once the Strait reopens, Qatar will resume normal gas operations within weeks, adding that QatarEnergy’s current LNG output is extremely low.
(To facilitate readers whose native language is not English, Reuters has automatically translated its report into several other languages. Because automated translation may contain errors or fail to capture the required context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of automated translations and provides them solely for the convenience of readers. Reuters bears no responsibility for any damages or losses caused by the use of the automated translation feature.)
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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