North Field East expansion is targeting first LNG production in the first half of 2027, marking a major construction milestone for Qatar’s gas industry. Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi confirmed the schedule at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York.
The first production train should enter service during the first half of 2027. However, additional trains could face delays because shipping disruptions are affecting equipment deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz.
The project represents the first phase of Qatar’s wider North Field LNG expansion program. It involves four LNG mega-trains at Ras Laffan Industrial City. Each train will produce 8 million tones of LNG annually. Together, they will add 32 million tones of annual LNG capacity.
North Field East expansion construction reaches critical delivery stage
North Field East expansion carries an estimated investment of $28.75 billion. QatarEnergy approved the project’s final investment decision in February 2021. The development initially targeted start-up in 2026. However, Qatar later shifted the expected start-up into 2027.
Chiyoda Corporation and Technip Energies formed the joint venture delivering the project’s onshore facilities. Their engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract covers four LNG trains. It also includes associated utilities and offsite facilities.
The construction program will process approximately 6 billion standard cubic feet of feed gas daily. The gas will come from Qatar’s North Field, the world’s largest non-associated gas field. The completed development will raise Qatar’s LNG export capacity from 77 million tones to approximately 110 million tones annually.
Additionally, the project includes carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure. The system will support lower greenhouse gas emissions from LNG production. Technip Energies says the carbon capture system should reduce emissions by more than 25% against comparable LNG facilities.
QatarEnergy’s wider construction program also extends beyond LNG infrastructure into major offshore developments. The company has awarded construction packages for the Maydan Mahzam oil field expansion to China Offshore Oil Engineering Company, PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation and Seatrium, covering offshore fabrication and installation works.
North Field East expansion faces equipment delivery uncertainty
North Field East expansion now faces an external construction challenge linked to the Strait of Hormuz disruption. Al-Kaabi said difficulties receiving facilities and critical equipment could affect additional trains.
The first NFE train remains scheduled for the first half of 2027. However, QatarEnergy has indicated that subsequent trains depend partly on how quickly shipping conditions improve. The situation therefore creates a distinction between the first-train schedule and wider project completion.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s North Field South development is scheduled to start production in 2028. That phase will add another 16 million tones of annual LNG capacity.
QatarEnergy also plans North Field West as another expansion phase. The broader program targets 142 million tones of annual LNG production capacity by 2030. North Field East therefore remains central to Qatar’s long-term LNG infrastructure expansion.
The current construction schedule also carries significance for global LNG supply. Qatar previously ranked among the world’s largest LNG exporters. Ras Laffan supplied nearly one-fifth of global LNG before the current disruption.
Consequently, delays affecting new production capacity could influence the timing of additional LNG supplies. For the construction sector, the project also demonstrates how international logistics can affect major energy infrastructure schedules.
Project Fact Sheet
Name: North Field East (NFE) LNG expansion
Type: LNG production and export infrastructure
Location: Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar
Owner: QatarEnergy
Operating entity: QatarEnergy LNG
Estimated project investment: $28.75 billion
Final investment decision: February 2021
LNG trains: Four mega-trains
Capacity per train: 8 million tones per annum
Combined added capacity: 32 million tones per annum
Expected additional LNG production: Approximately 33 million tones per annum
Existing Qatar LNG capacity: 77 million tones per annum
Capacity after NFE: Approximately 110 million tones per annum
First train start-up: First half of 2027
Previous start-up target: 2026
Feed gas requirement: Approximately 6 billion standard cubic feet per day
Feed gas source: Qatar’s North Field
Construction scope: Engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning
Main facilities: Four LNG mega-trains
Supporting facilities: Utilities and offsite infrastructure
Environmental infrastructure: Carbon capture and sequestration
Construction peak workforce: More than 45,000 workers
Concrete requirement: Approximately 600,000 cubic meters
Steel structures: Approximately 100,000 tones
Wider program: North Field East, North Field South and North Field West
Long-term Qatar LNG capacity target: 142 million tones per annum by 2030
Project Team
Owner: QatarEnergy
Operator: QatarEnergy LNG
Main EPC contractor: Chiyoda Corporation and Technip Energies joint venture
LNG project partners:
- ExxonMobil
- Shell
- ConocoPhillips
- TotalEnergies
- Eni
- China National Petroleum Corporation
- Sinopec
- CPC Corporation, Taiwan
Location: Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar
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