Qatargas, which pioneered liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Qatar, has come a long way since its inception in 1984 and the subsequent signing of its first sales agreement in 1992.
Qatargas’ vision is to be the world’s leading supplier of LNG and condensate - as measured by customer satisfaction; profitability; efficient and reliable operations; high standards of safety, health and environmental compatibility; and maintenance of a diverse work force of the highest caliber.
The Qatargas LNG plant is located within the Ras Laffan Industrial City about 80 kilometers north of Doha. North Field processed gas is used as feedstock for the plant. Following filtration and metering of this dry gas in the onshore feedstock reception facility, it is distributed to the plant’s three identical liquefaction trains for processing into LNG.
Qatargas shareholders
| Upstream | % | Downstream | % |
| Qatar Petroleum | 65 | Qatar Petroleum | 65 |
| Total | 20 | Total | 10 |
| ExxonMobil Qatar Inc. | 10 | ExxonMobil Qatar Inc. | 10 |
| Mitsui | 2.5 | Mitsui | 7.5 |
| Marubeni | 2.5 | Marubeni | 7.5 |
Qatargas has signed long, mid-term and short-term agreements to supply LNG cargoes to a number of markets worldwide: Japan (6 million metric tons per annum under a long term SPA agreement), Spain, Turkey, Italy, U.S., France, South Korea and U.K.
Production Expansion
The annual capacity of Qatargas’ existing plant will increase from its original 6 MMTA to over 9.5 MMTA by 2005, when the ongoing project to upgrade the current facilities is completed. By 2010, Qatargas expects to more than double its annual LNG production by adding 2 new trains. These trains are anticipated to be the largest ever built in the industry.
2003 Shipments
On 31 December 2003, the cumulative total of delivered LNG cargoes, including spot sales was 711, totaling 41.2 MMTA of LNG. Of these, 569 were delivered to Qatargas’ eight long-term customers in Japan, while 142 were successfully sold on spot and mid term contracts.
The cumulative number of condensate cargoes loaded as of the same date was 261, containing 122 million barrels.
For more information about Qatargas: www.qatargas.com
