North Field East

Location and Field Details

• The North Field is situated offshore in the northeast of the Qatar peninsula and is part of a larger gas field shared with Iran, known as South Pars on the Iranian side.

Project Overview

• The North Field East project is part of the broader North Field expansion, aimed at increasing Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity. The project was announced in April 2017 after Qatar Energy (formerly Qatar Petroleum) lifted a 12-year moratorium on field development imposed in 2005 to assess the reservoir's impact.

Ownership and Partnerships

• The NFE project is operated by Qatargas on behalf of QatarEnergy. QatarEnergy has formed joint ventures with TotalEnergies, Eni, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Shell for the project's development. 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 Scope and Infrastructure

• The project involves the development of four new LNG trains, each with a capacity of approximately 8 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG. This will increase Qatar's total LNG production capacity from 77 Mtpa to 110 Mtpa by 2025.
• The project includes the drilling of 80 new development wells from eight unmanned wellhead platforms. 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 onshore facilities will include gas treatment, natural gas liquids recovery, helium extraction and refining, and a large carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility within the Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Contractors and Suppliers

• The contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) of the onshore facilities was awarded to a joint venture between Chiyoda and Technip Energies (CTJV) in February 2021. This contract includes the construction and delivery of the four LNG trains and associated infrastructure.
• Other key contracts include:
  • Baker Hughes: Providing four main refrigerant compressor trains.
  • Honeywell: Supplying instrumentation and control solutions.
  • Air Products: Supplying proprietary AP-X natural gas liquefaction process technology and equipment.
  • McDermott Engineering Middle East Inc.: Awarded the EPCI contract for the offshore jacket installations and FEED contract for the topsides and pipelines.

Environmental and Technological Features

• The NFE project incorporates several low-carbon solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It includes a large CCS facility, which will capture and sequester CO₂ from the feed gas, reducing emissions by approximately 25% compared to similar LNG plants.
• The project also features waste heat recovery facilities, electrical power imported from the national grid (including renewable power from future solar projects), and Ultra Low NOx DLN1+ technology to reduce gas turbine NOx emissions by 60%.
• Additional environmental measures include maximizing water recovery and reuse, and a major tree irrigation network.

Production and Output

• The project will produce approximately 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 about 20 tonnes per day of pure helium.

Timeline

• The drilling of the first development well commenced in March 2020.
• Installation of the eight offshore jackets was completed in 2020.
• First production from the new trains is scheduled for the end of 2025, with full completion expected by 2027.

Future Expansion

• The North Field East project is the first phase of the North Field expansion. The second phase, known as the North Field South project, is expected to further increase Qatar's LNG production capacity to 126 Mtpa by 2027.

Economic and Strategic Impact

• The NFE project is one of the largest LNG projects ever sanctioned, with an estimated $13 billion investment for the onshore EPC contract alone. It will significantly increase Qatar's LNG export capacity, solidifying Qatargas' position as the world's largest single LNG producer.

This project is a critical component of Qatar's strategy to maintain its leadership in the global LNG market while incorporating advanced technologies to reduce environmental impact.