The North Field East LNG Project in Ras Laffan, Qatar, is set to resume full construction following a period of forced suspension triggered by the Iran conflict that began in February 2026. Japanese engineering giant Chiyoda Corporation has confirmed that all evacuated staff will return to site, allowing the Chiyoda Technip Joint Venture (CTJV) to restart work on what stands as the single largest LNG facility ever constructed. Awarded by QatarEnergy LNG in February 2021, the project carries a total development cost of approximately US$28.75 billion, with the onshore engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contract alone valued at US$13 billion. The scope covers the delivery of four mega LNG trains, each with an individual capacity of 8 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), bringing total new production to 32 MTPA across a plant footprint equivalent to 58 Tokyo Domes. At its peak, the project is expected to mobilise over 45,000 workers. Construction commenced following the February 2021 final investment decision, with the first train originally targeted for a fourth quarter 2026 startup before geopolitical disruption pushed the schedule to the right. Technology licensor Air Products and Chemicals supplies the proprietary AP-X liquefaction process. Qatar’s Ministry of Energy and Industry, alongside QatarEnergy LNG as asset owner, governs project oversight.

Gulf Ambitions, Tested and Intact

The suspension and now restart of the North Field East project underscores just how exposed mega LNG developments can be to geopolitical shock, but also how quickly confidence can return when diplomatic conditions shift. The US-Iran ceasefire in April 2026 opened the window for contractors to consider remobilisation, and Chiyoda’s confirmation of a full return to Ras Laffan is the clearest signal yet that the Gulf LNG expansion programme remains fundamentally intact. The broader North Field programme, which also includes the North Field South and North Field West phases targeting a combined capacity increase from 77 to 142 MTPA by 2030, represents the most ambitious liquefaction buildout in the world. For context, the US LNG sector, dominated by Cheniere’s Sabine Pass with individual trains rated at roughly 5 MTPA, simply cannot match the unit scale Qatar achieves through the AP-X process. That scale advantage, with capital costs estimated in the US$800 to US$900 per tonne per annum range, is far below the US$1,500 per tonne seen at recent American developments. The NFE project will also lift Qatar’s total export capacity from 77 to 110 MTPA. Chiyoda’s track record is central to understanding why CTJV was the natural choice: the company has participated in all fourteen LNG train series constructed in Qatar, executing EPC work across twelve of them. That institutional depth, combined with Technip Energies’ engineering and commissioning expertise, gives QatarEnergy a contractor pairing with few credible equals on a project of this complexity. Parallel investment is also continuing across Qatar’s downstream energy infrastructure, including the recently awarded Laffan Refinery 1 upgrade contract, reinforcing how the country is simultaneously expanding LNG export capacity while modernising its refining and processing assets at Ras Laffan.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: North Field East (NFE) LNG Expansion Project
• Location: Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar
• Project Value: Approximately US$28.75 billion total development cost; US$13 billion onshore EPCC contract
• Client/Owner: QatarEnergy LNG
• Scope of Work: Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) of four LNG mega trains and associated utility and offsite facilities
• LNG Capacity: 4 trains x 8 MTPA = 32 MTPA total; increasing Qatar’s export capacity from 77 to 110 MTPA
• Technology Licensor: Air Products and Chemicals (AP-X liquefaction process)
• Plant Area: 2,698,000 m2
• Feed Gas Input: Approximately 6 billion standard cubic feet per day from Qatar’s North Field
• Environmental Feature: Integrated CO2 Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) facility targeting more than 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions versus comparable LNG plants
• Peak Workforce: Over 45,000 workers at peak construction
• Construction Status: Fully resuming May 2026 following suspension caused by Iran conflict; original 2026 first train startup rescheduled

Project Team

• Client/Owner: QatarEnergy LNG (subsidiary of QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state energy company)
• EPCC Joint Venture (CTJV): Chiyoda Corporation (Japan) and Technip Energies (France)
• Offshore Contractor: McDermott International (wellhead topsides, subsea pipelines and cables, onshore pipeline scope)
• Offshore EPCI Contractor: Saipem (Italy) — North Field Production Sustainability Offshore Compression Complexes, multiple packages under execution
• Regulatory Authority: Qatar Ministry of Energy and Industry
• International Equity Partner: Sinopec (China) — 1.25% stake in NFE project (equivalent to 5% in one train)
• LNG Offtake Partners: Sinopec (China), Germany (via long-term supply agreements commencing 2026)