QatarEnergy is proceeding with a new LNG expansion project, the “North Field West” project, to further raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity to 142 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) before the end of this decade, representing an increase of almost 85 percent from current production levels of 77 mtpa.

This was announced by Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy President and CEO HE Saad Sherida Al Kaabi during a press conference at QatarEnergy’s headquarters in Doha on Sunday.

Al Kaabi said extensive appraisal drilling and testing have confirmed that productive layers of Qatar’s giant North Field extend towards the west, which allows for developing a new LNG production project in Ras Laffan.

“QatarEnergy has focused its efforts and attention on determining how far west the North Field’s productive layers extend to evaluate the production potential from those areas. We have continued geological and engineering studies and have drilled several appraisal wells in that area. I am pleased to announce that 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,” Al Kaabi added

Al Kaabi also announced the presence of huge additional gas quantities in the North Field estimated at 240 trillion cubic feet, which raises Qatar’s gas reserves from 1,760 trillion cubic feet to more than 2,000 trillion cubic feet and condensates reserves from 70 to more than 80 billion barrels, in addition to large quantities of liquefied petroleum gas, ethane, and helium.

“These are significant results of great dimensions that will take Qatar’s gas industry to new horizons, enabling us to begin developing a new LNG project from the North Field’s western sector with a production capacity of about 16 mtpa. As such, Qatar’s total LNG production will reach about 142 mtpa when this new expansion is completed before the end of this decade. This represents an increase of almost 85 percent compared to current production levels. With the completion of this project, the State of Qatar’s total hydrocarbon production will exceed 7.25 million barrels of oil equivalent per day,” he said.