North Field

Location and Geology

The North Field is situated offshore northeast of the Qatar peninsula and is part of a larger gas field that extends into Iranian waters, where it is known as the South Pars field. The field covers an area of more than 6,000 square kilometers and holds over 900 trillion standard cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable natural gas reserves, which is approximately 10% of the world's known natural gas reserves.

History and Discovery

Natural gas in the North Field was discovered in 1971. Over the next 14 years, 15 appraisal wells were drilled to evaluate the field. A moratorium was imposed in 2005 to assess the impact of increasing output from the reservoir, which was lifted in April 2017 when Qatar Energy announced the expansion of the field.

North Field East (NFE) Project

The NFE project is a significant expansion of the North Field, aimed at increasing Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity.

Ownership and Partnerships

The NFE project is operated by Qatargas on behalf of QatarEnergy (formerly known as Qatar Petroleum). QatarEnergy has formed joint ventures with several international energy companies, including TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Shell. QatarEnergy holds a 75% interest in each joint venture, while the other partners hold a 25% interest each, except for Eni and ConocoPhillips, which hold 12.5% each.

Project Details

• The project involves the development of four new LNG trains and eight wellhead platforms, from which 80 new wells will be drilled.
• Eight offshore drilling rigs will be installed, and four offshore 38-inch trunk lines along with 28-inch diameter intra-field pipelines will be laid.
• The drilling of the first development well began in March 2020 using the GulfDrill Lovanda drilling rig.
• Installation of eight offshore jackets to support the topside facilities was completed in 2020.
• The project includes a 250km-long pipeline for gas transfer to Ras Laffan, a 250km-long pipeline for the supply of monoethylene glycol (MEG), and 280km of fibre optic cables.

Production Capacity

The NFE project is expected to increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity by 43%, from 77 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to 110 Mtpa. The project will produce 32 Mtpa of LNG, along with other products such as 4,000 tonnes per day of ethane, 260,000 barrels per day of condensate, 11,000 tonnes per day of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and approximately 20 tonnes per day of pure helium.

Timeline

• The project commenced in 2019.
• First LNG from the NFE project is expected in 2026.

Infrastructure and Facilities

• The project includes the installation of a large accommodation camp within the Ras Laffan Industrial City, with Kent subcontracted by Gulf Contracting Company (GCC) to provide EPC services for the camp.
• The development will utilize existing infrastructure and add new facilities to support the increased production.

Economic and Environmental Impact

• The expansion is one of Qatar's key energy objectives, aiming to provide cleaner energy globally.
• The project is expected to have a significant economic impact, both locally and globally, by increasing LNG export capacity and supporting the global demand for cleaner energy.

Other Developments in the North Field

In addition to the NFE project, there are other developments within the North Field, such as the North Field West project, which is currently in the feasibility stage and expected to start commercial production in 2028. This project is also operated by QatarEnergy and is forecast to peak in production by 2030, continuing until the field reaches its economic limit in 2069.

In summary, the North Field East project is a major expansion of the world's largest single non-associated natural gas field, driven by QatarEnergy in partnership with several international energy companies. The project aims to significantly increase Qatar's LNG production capacity, contributing to the global supply of cleaner energy.