QatarEnergy rules out pipeline alternative for LNG exports

BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 21. QatarEnergy
President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi has ruled out using
pipelines as an alternative route for Qatar’s liquefied natural gas
(LNG) exports.

Speaking during a session on “The Global Energy Realignment” at
the Qatar Economic Forum 2026 in New York, held alongside the
high-level meetings of the 81st UN General Assembly, Al-Kaabi
thanked Qatar’s neighbors for offering their territories for a
potential pipeline route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz,
QatarEnergy said in a message.

“We are grateful for our neighbors who have welcomed us to use
their territories,” he said. However, he stressed that LNG cannot
simply be redirected through pipelines because it must first be
transported as natural gas and then liquefied at receiving
facilities. “This means we are building redundant facilities to the
ones we are already building in Qatar as part of the North Field
expansion project. This makes no economic sense,” Al-Kaabi
said.

He added that QatarEnergy had decided against a pipeline
alternative 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. However, it will take three years for repairs on the two
LNG trains,” he said.

According to the minister, Qatar would be able to resume normal
LNG operations within weeks once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

“As for resuming operations, Qatar is ready to resume normal
operations within a few weeks of the reopening of the Strait of
Hormuz,” Al-Kaabi said.

Regarding the declaration of force majeure, he emphasized
QatarEnergy's historical record as an LNG supplier.

“Throughout our history, we have been a reliable producer and
supplier with zero defaults on any shipment. But this is absolutely
beyond our control,” he said.

Why the Strait of Hormuz is critical for Qatar's
LNG

The disruption is particularly significant for Qatar because the
country relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz to reach its LNG
customers. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
estimates that around 20% of global LNG trade transited the strait
in 2024, with Qatar accounting for the overwhelming majority of LNG
exports through the route. Qatar exported about 9.3 billion cubic
feet per day of LNG through the strait that year.

The EIA has said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in
2026 affected more than 10 billion cubic feet per day of global LNG
supplies, equivalent to about 20% of global supply, with most of
the disruption involving Qatar's Ras Laffan export facility. (U.S.
Energy Information Administration)

The agency also reported that Qatari LNG exports declined in
2026 following the closure of the key export route, while Asian
buyers — which accounted for more than 80% of Qatar's LNG volumes
in 2025 — competed with European buyers for available spot cargoes.
(U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Qatar's reliance on maritime LNG exports comes as QatarEnergy is
simultaneously undertaking a major expansion of its liquefaction
capacity.

QatarEnergy says current LNG production capacity stands at 77
million metric tons per year (MTPA). The North Field East project
is expected to increase capacity to 110 MTPA, followed by North
Field South, which would raise it to 126 MTPA. North Field West is
planned to bring total Qatari LNG production capacity to 142 MTPA
by the end of 2030. (QatarEnergy)

QatarEnergy describes the North Field as the world's largest
single non-associated gas field, with confirmed reserves exceeding
2,000 trillion cubic feet. (QatarEnergy)

The scale of the planned expansion further underlines why Qatar
would need additional liquefaction and export infrastructure if it
were to transport gas by pipeline to another country for LNG
production. QatarEnergy's existing expansion projects are already
designed around an integrated production and liquefaction system in
Qatar.

Asked about reports that Qatar was purchasing LNG from the
market, Al-Kaabi pointed to QatarEnergy's plans to significantly
expand its LNG trading activities.

“I have announced in 2024 that we're building one of the largest
LNG trading organizations,” he said, adding that “in the very near
future, we will be the largest LNG trader in the world by far.”

He said QatarEnergy was building its position with the objective
of becoming the world's largest LNG trader.

Source: https://www.trend.az/world/arab/4226214.html

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