Qatar Petroleum (QP) took final investment decision on its North Field East (NFE) project and signed engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts for the project’s onshore infrastructure, including LNG trains. NFE will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity to 110 million tonnes/year (tpy) from 77 million tpy.
The project, being executed by Qatargas also will produce condensate, LPG, ethane, sulfur, and helium. It is expected to start production fourth-quarter 2025 and produce 1.4 million boe/d.
QP awarded the EPC contracts to Chiyoda Corp. and Technip Energies, with their main scope being construction of four 8-million tpy LNG trains. The contracts also cover units for gas treatment, NGL recovery, and helium extraction and refining within Ras Laffan Industrial City. QP last year awarded Baker Hughes Co. a contract for 12 refrigerant compressors for use in NFE’s LNG production (OGJ Online, Sept. 29, 2020).
The project will include a CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) system that will be integrated with the wider CCS system under development in Ras Laffan. It will also use a jetty boil-off gas recovery system which QP says will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 1 million tpy of CO2 equivalent. Solar power, water conservation, and NOx-emissions reductions are all also planned as integrated parts of the project’s development.
NFE’s total cost will be $28.75 billion.
The project represents the first phase of LNG expansion in Qatar. The second phase, North Field South (NFS) project, will further increase Qatar’s LNG production to 126 million tpy. With an expected production start date in 2027, NFS involves construction of two additional 8-million tpy trains and associated offshore and onshore infrastructure.
QP is evaluating further LNG capacity expansions beyond 126 million tpy.