{
  "id": 8821030,
  "title": "Qatar’s energy chief sees LNG expansion start-up in 2027",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/qatars-energy-chief-sees-lng-expansion-start-up-in-2027",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T02:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times Business",
    "slug": "straits-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/business/qatars-energy-chief-sees-lng-expansion-start-up-in-2027"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Qatar anticipates that its major liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion will commence operation in 2027, Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi stated at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York on September 20. The initial phase at North Field East is projected to begin production in the first half of 2027, though this was previously expected for 2026. The expansion plans could be further delayed if the ongoing disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz continue, as they could impede the arrival of additional production trains. Al-Kaabi emphasized that the severity of the impact on Hormuz would determine the timeline for the remaining phases, including North Field South, which is scheduled for 2028. The Strait of Hormuz's closure due to the Iran conflict has caused global LNG supplies to tighten, with Qatar's exports contributing to a surge in spot prices. Despite this, Al-Kaabi maintains that Hormuz will not become obsolete, dismissing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's assertion that the waterway would lose value in two years. The country is not planning to construct new pipelines to circumvent the strait, as the natural gas revenue from Ras Laffan plant has significantly diminished following an attack that damaged 17% of its facilities. Qatar is pivoting to become a larger LNG trader, having resumed partial exports through the strait and transitioning towards exporting more LNG outside the Persian Gulf, with the aim of becoming the world's largest trader in the near future.",
  "summary": "Disruptions, such as the Iran war, have choked supplies of the fuel from Qatar, the world’s second-largest exporter.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}