Qatar’s energy chief sees LNG expansion start-up in 2027
Qatar's energy minister, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, announced that the first phase of its massive LNG expansion, North Field East, is now expected to begin production in the first half of 2027, a delay from the previous 2026 target. This delay is attributed to shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, exacerbated by the Iran war, which also threatens further delays for additional production trains.
Why it matters
Delays in Qatar's LNG expansion, a major global supplier, combined with geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, will significantly impact global energy markets, potentially leading to higher LNG prices and supply shortages for years.
QatarEnergy’s liquefied natural gas production facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City. Disruptions such as the Iran war have choked supplies of the fuel from Qatar, the world’s second-largest exporter.
Listen DOHA – Qatar expects inaugural output from its massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion in 2027 as shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz slow projects across the country’s economy, Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said.
The first production train at North Field East – the initial phase of Qatar’s LNG expansion – is expected to come online in the first half of 2027, Al-Kaabi said at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York on Sept 20.
The company previously anticipated that the plant would start producing in 2026. Bloomberg reported earlier in 2026 that the facility’s start had been delayed into 2027.
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