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Qatar’s LNG Loss Revives Projects From Argentina to Timor-Leste
Developing
In Short: QatarEnergy recently pushed back the launch of the first production unit at the North Field East project to the first half of 2027. Force majeure declarations on contracted supplies for certain buyers were extended into November 2026.
Organizers at the Gastech conference in Bangkok announced agreements worth an estimated $60 billion, including a 20-year U.S. LNG contract and a 35-year production agreement in the Gulf of Thailand. Proposed projects in Argentina, Timor-Leste, and Tanzania also drew interest from buyers and investors.
Qatar is managing a significant recovery effort following damage to its LNG facilities. WoodMac’s Alexandre Araman noted that Qatar is handling US$5.8 billion in repairs and recovery timelines of up to twelve months while commissioning the largest LNG expansion program in the world.
The disruptions in Qatar’s LNG export capacity, which was reduced by about 17%, have prompted buyers to seek alternative sources of gas. The strikes damaged production and processing facilities, impacting both Qatar’s LNG export capacity and the gas available to Iran’s domestic market.
Qatar’s North Field and Iran’s South Pars share the same 9,000-square-kilometer gas formation, which holds 25% of the world’s gas resources and supplies 10% of global production. The March strikes damaged two LNG production units at Ras Laffan, cutting Qatar's export capacity.
Timor-Leste Energy Minister Francisco da Costa Monteiro told Reuters that the country plans to build two greenfield LNG plants. One is a 5-million-tonne-a-year facility supplied by the long-delayed Greater Sunrise fields, and the other is a 1.5-million-tonne plant using remaining gas from Bayu-Undan.
What's still developing
- QatarEnergy recently pushed back the launch of the first production unit at the North Field East project to the first half of 2027, while force majeur e declarations on contracted supplies for certain buyers were extended into November 2026.