{
  "id": 8900673,
  "title": "Minister of State for Energy Affairs: LNG cannot be transported via pipelines",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/minister-of-state-for-energy-affairs-lng-cannot-be-transported-via",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T10:34:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times Business",
    "slug": "gulf-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/733817/business/minister-of-state-for-energy-affairs-lng-cannot-be-transported-via-pipelines"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "His Excellency Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, addressed the use of pipelines for Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. While neighboring countries welcomed the use of their territories for a pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, neither the minister nor QatarEnergy deemed pipelines a viable alternative for transporting LNG. This is due to commercial and technical reasons, as the minister explained during a discussion at The Global Energy Realignment held at the Qatar Economic Forum 2026 in New York.\n\nThe minister acknowledged the damage caused by attacks on Ras Laffan, which resulted in the destruction of two LNG trains and a gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant. Repair work on the GTL train is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, while the two LNG trains will take three years to restore. The minister pledged that Qatar is prepared to resume normal operations within weeks of the Strait of Hormuz reopening.\n\nDespite the challenges, the minister rejected the claim that the Strait of Hormuz is obsolete, emphasizing that it connects trade for all products among its neighboring countries. He stressed the importance of maintaining good relations with neighbors in the Gulf region, as they will remain allies for generations.\n\nRegarding Qatar's stance on purchasing LNG on the market, the minister revealed that a new liquefied natural gas trading organization is being established, which he expects to become the world's largest trader in the near future. Additionally, QatarEnergy is expanding its projects in the United States, including the launch of shipments from the first train at Golden Pass LNG and the upcoming commissioning of the second and third trains, along with the construction of the world's largest ethane cracker at the Golden Triangle Polymers project.",
  "summary": "His Excellency Minister of State for Energy Affairs, the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, Eng. Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi thanked Qatar's neighbors who welcomed the use of their territories for a...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Peninsula Qatar Business",
        "title": "LNG cannot be transported via pipelines: Energy Minister",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/lng-cannot-be-transported-via-pipelines-energy-minister",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:19:05.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}