On the offshore platform of the northern gas field in Qatar, the last batch of core process modules are being lifted and fixed. On September 20, 2026, Saad Al Kabi, CEO of Qatar Energy, confirmed at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York that the Northern Gas Field Eastward Expansion Project will achieve the first batch of LNG export deliveries in the first half of 2027, and the world's largest LNG capacity expansion plan is entering the countdown to production.

Two major expansion projects are progressing at a steady pace

The current annual LNG production capacity in Qatar is 77 million tons. After the Northern Gas Field Eastward Expansion Project is put into operation, the total production capacity will be directly increased to 110 million tons per year. After the Northern Gas Field Southward Expansion Project is put into operation in 2028, the total production capacity will further increase to 126 million tons per year, and the long-term plan is to reach 145 million tons per year by 2030. The project relies on the development of the world's largest offshore natural gas field, the Northern Gas Field, which belongs to the same geological structure as the South Pars gas field in Iran and has the world's largest natural gas reserves.

Currently, Qatar Energy has awarded multiple large-scale EPC contracts for expansion projects, with participation from international engineering companies from South Korea, Japan, and Europe. In October 2025, Qatar Energy signed a 27 year long-term LNG supply agreement with Shell, delivering 3.5 million tons of LNG annually to the Gate LNG terminal at the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, with all gas sources coming from the expansion projects of the North Gas Field East and West.

Synchronized upgrade of transportation fleet

Qatar Energy is advancing the world's largest LNG ship construction plan, ordering hundreds of new LNG ships to match future export growth demand. In September 2026, the 10th 174000 cubic meter large LNG carrier built by China Hudong Zhonghua for Qatar Energy was officially delivered. The rhythm of one ship delivery and one ship construction continues to advance, and the fleet's capacity guarantee capability steadily improves.

The recent disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has caused delays in the entry of key equipment. Kabi publicly stated that the production pace of some subsequent liquefaction production lines may be slightly delayed, but the first delivery node of the core eastward expansion project is still locked in the first half of 2027. With the continuous increase in global energy security demand, the long-term LNG procurement demand in the Asian and European markets continues to be strong. After Qatar's new production capacity is put into operation, it will further consolidate its market position as a core LNG supplier in the world. Keywords: energy strategy, oil and gas

LNG carriers on the surface of the Persian Gulf are slowly departing from Ras Laffan Port in Qatar. In less than 10 months, the first new LNG ship produced by the expansion project will set sail from here, and the supply pattern of global natural gas trade will also usher in new variables.Editor/Cheng Liting