Qatar

Qatar is mainly known as a gas player, with its reserve base centred on the offshore North Fields which adjoin Iran’s South Pars complex. The country accelerated into world gas export market leadership in 2005-06 and plans to increase LNG production to 77 million tonnes a year by early next decade through a number of large-scale projects, including the world’s largest trains of 7.8 million tonnes apiece.

Regional pipeline exports through the Dolphin pipeline are set to begin in 2007, feeding the UAE and later Oman. However, further new gas initiatives await a review of the country’s reservoirs announced in 2005 which is currently timetabled for completion at end-2008. Qatar is also undertaking significant expansion in its oil sector, with targets to push output over 1 million b/d by 2010. The country is the smallest producer, but an active voice in OPEC.