The North Field West project will join the previously started North Field East and North Field South projects to ramp up Qatar’s LNG production by nearly 85% from the present production levels of 77MTPA
QatarEnergy launches the North Field West project to reach a target of 142MTPA of LNG production by the end of 2030. (Credit: QatarEnergy)
QatarEnergy has unveiled plans to proceed with the North Field West project, aiming to boost the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity to 142 million tons per annum (MTPA) by the end of 2030.
The new 16MTPA project will play a role in Qatar increasing its present LNG production levels of 77MTPA of LNG by nearly 85%. Following the completion of the North Field West project, the total hydrocarbon production of Qatar is estimated to surpass 7.25 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
QatarEnergy has been progressing the North Field East and North Field South projects, which are designed to have a combined capacity of 49MTPA.
According to Qatar Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, extensive appraisal drilling and testing have affirmed that the productive layers of Qatar’s vast North Field stretch westward. This enables the development of a new LNG production project in Ras Laffan, said the Minister.
Al-Kaabi said: “QatarEnergy has focused its efforts and attention on determining how far west the North Field’s productive layers extend in order to evaluate the production potential from those areas. We have continued geological and engineering studies and have drilled a number of appraisal wells in that area.
“I am pleased today to announce that, praise be to God, these great efforts have confirmed, through technical tests of the appraisal wells, the extension of the North Field’s productive layers further towards the west, which means the ability to produce significant additional quantities of gas from this new sector.”
QatarEnergy will immediately start the basic engineering works required for ensuring that the planned progress of the North Field West project is achieved as per its approved schedule.
Al-Kaabi also disclosed the discovery of substantial additional gas reserves in the North Field, estimated at 240 trillion cubic feet. This increases Qatar’s gas reserves from 1,760 to over 2,000 trillion cubic feet, and the condensate reserves from 70 to over 80 billion barrels.
Additionally, significant quantities of liquefied petroleum gas, ethane, and helium were also identified, said the Minister during a press conference.