The Laffan Refinery 1 upgrade project is a brownfield safety intervention at QatarEnergy’s condensate refinery in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, targeting the replacement of 31 single-seal pumps with more reliable double-seal units to eliminate leakage and explosion risk. With Chiyoda Corporation’s eight-month FEED contract wrapping up around mid-2024, QatarEnergy had been expected to launch EPC tendering in the second quarter of 2024, moving the upgrade from design into full engineering, procurement, and construction scope.

A Quiet Upgrade in a Very Busy Industrial City

No public announcement of an EPC contract award for the Laffan Refinery 1 pump seal programme has emerged as of May 2026, which is not unusual for tightly managed brownfield safety upgrades in Ras Laffan, where QatarEnergy routinely keeps contract details close. What is clear is that Ras Laffan Industrial City has been operating at an extraordinary level of activity, with the broader North Field expansion and the US$6 billion Ras Laffan Petrochemicals Complex consuming significant contractor and engineering resources across the site since 2022. The Iran conflict disruption to Ras Laffan operations beginning in early 2026 may also have affected sequencing of smaller brownfield works, though QatarEnergy has not publicly commented on this specific project. The refinery complex’s combined processing capacity of 292,000 barrels per day across both Laffan units makes its operational continuity a strategic priority. That operational pressure explains why QatarEnergy continues investing simultaneously in both new export capacity and reliability-focused upgrades across Ras Laffan. The recently resumed North Field East LNG expansion has already returned thousands of workers to site following the temporary evacuation during the Iran conflict, reinforcing how tightly interconnected upstream LNG growth and downstream processing reliability have become within Qatar’s wider energy strategy.

Project Overview

• Project Name: Laffan Refinery 1 Pump Seal Upgrade
• Location: Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC), Qatar
• Developer/Owner: QatarEnergy LNG
• Total Cost/Value: Approximately US$50 million (estimated for EPC phase; FEED contract value not disclosed)
• Scale/Capacity: Modification of 31 pumps from single to double seal configuration; refinery processes 146,000 b/d of condensate
• Construction Start: Not yet publicly confirmed; EPC tendering expected from Q2 2024
• Expected Completion: Not disclosed
• Funding/Financing: QatarEnergy self-funded (state-owned entity)
• Current Status: FEED completed circa mid-2024; EPC phase status not publicly confirmed as of May 2026
• Key Milestone: Chiyoda Corporation completed eight-month FEED contract awarded December 2023

Project Team

• QatarEnergy LNG — Client and Asset Owner
• Chiyoda Corporation (Japan) — FEED Contractor
• TotalEnergies (France) — Minority shareholder in Laffan Refinery 1 (10% stake)
• ExxonMobil (USA) — Minority shareholder in Laffan Refinery 1 (10% stake)
• Cosmo Energy (Japan) — Minority shareholder in Laffan Refinery 1
• Idemitsu Kosan (Japan) — Minority shareholder in Laffan Refinery 1
• EPC Contractor — Not yet publicly disclosed (tendering anticipated from Q2 2024)

Reported 7th December 2023: QatarEnergy has awarded a contract for the upgrade of Laffan Refinery 1 to Japan-headquarted Chiyoda corporation. The scope of the project includes front-end engineering of the refinery. It also includes design services for a brownfield project related to modifying pump seals. This is to be done in Laffan Refinery 1 located in Qatar’s Ras Laffan. The company awarded the contract is to provide design services for the project. The duration of the contract is scoped at eight months. The client company is expected to commence on the tendering of other processes related to the project. This include engineering and procurement works that are to be tendered.
The client company will also tender contracts for the construction of the Laffan Refinery 1 and its subsequent upgrade. The company is responsible for the operation of two refineries in Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC). Laffan refinery 1 that is due for an upgrade started its production in 2009. The team positioned at the refinery has noted 31 pumps with single seals. This poses a great risk of causing a leak. It also poses a threat for the pumps exploding in future which may be catastrophic for the refinery’s work process. The aim of the upgrade is to replace the seals and replace them with double seals for safeguarding.

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Laffan Refinery 1 is Crucial in Qatar’s Oil Production Prospects and Activities

The upgrade of Laffan Refinery 1 is critical in Qatar’s oil production prospects and activities in the Gulf. It has a total crude oil capacity that is processed at 146,000 barrels a day. The barrels include 61,000 barrels a day (b/d) of naptha and 52,000 b/d of kerojet. It also includes 24,000 b/d of gas oil, and 9,000 barrels a day of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). The major shareholder of Laffan Refinery 1 is QataEnergy at 51 percent majority share. Other shareholders include TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil. Other companies also include Cosmo, Idemitsu, among others that hold shares in the refinery. The upgrade of the refinery will ensure production continues and maybe even increases as QatarEnergy prospect on that happening.