Qatar continues to expand natural gas production for the expressed purpose of exporting. In 2011, EIA estimates that Qatar produced nearly 5,200 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, more than three times the amount it produced in 2000. EIA estimates Qatar's natural gas consumption in 2011 was approximately 690 Bcf, leaving the remainder for exports destined primarily for Asia. Although the increase in natural gas production fuels the growing natural gas requirements of domestic industry and its gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects, the bulk of this increase is going towards LNG exports.
Qatar - Analysis - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
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Natural gas
Qatar has the largest non-associated natural gas field in the world and is the world's largest liquefied natural gas exporter.
According to Oil & Gas Journal, Qatar's proven natural gas reserves stood at approximately 890 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) as of January 1, 2013. Qatar holds 13 percent of total world natural gas reserves which is the third-largest total in the world behind Russia and Iran. The majority of Qatar's natural gas is located in the immense offshore North Field, which spans an area roughly equivalent to Qatar itself. The North Field is actually a part of the world's largest non-associated natural gas field that sits in both Qatar's and Iran's maritime territories, and is the main source of Qatari natural gas production. Iran's South Pars field holds an additional 450 Tcf of recoverable natural gas reserves. Qatar produces condensate and natural gas liquids (NGL) alongside its natural gas production. In 2011, EIA estimates that condensate and NGL production has exceeded one million bbl/d, surpassing crude oil production. Analysts estimate that condensate production alone will overtake crude by 2015.
Sector organization
To an even greater extent than in the oil sector, Qatar Petroleum (QP) plays a dominant role in Qatar's natural gas sector, leading upstream and downstream projects. Qatar's focus on natural gas development tends to be integrated large-scale projects linked to LNG exports or downstream industries that use natural gas as a feedstock. Therefore, foreign company involvement has favored international oil companies with the technology and expertise in integrated mega-projects, including ExxonMobil, Shell, and Total. However, QP has maintained a majority share in most of its gas projects—in particular, the dominant companies in Qatar's LNG sector: Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas) and Ras Laffan Company Limited (RasGas). The LNG companies handle all upstream to downstream natural gas transportation themselves, while the Qatar Gas Transport Company (known as "Nakilat", which means "carriers" in Arabic) is responsible for shipping Qatari LNG.
Qatar
continues to expand natural gas production for the expressed purpose
of exporting. In 2011, EIA estimates that Qatar produced nearly 5,200
billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas, more than three times the
amount it produced in 2000. EIA estimates Qatar's natural gas
consumption in 2011 was approximately 690 Bcf, leaving the remainder for
exports destined primarily for Asia. Although the increase in natural
gas production fuels the growing natural gas requirements of domestic
industry and its gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects, the bulk of this
increase is going towards LNG exports.
The moratorium did not affect exploration and production projects already approved or underway, allowing Qatar to continue its growth in natural gas production. Although the moratorium was scheduled to be lifted in 2014, the Energy Ministry indicated in late 2010 that it does not plan to lift the moratorium at that time. The Barzan gas project, which will produce an additional 600 Bcf per year, was the last North Field project to be approved prior to the moratorium. The project will be a 90-10 joint venture between QP and ExxonMobil, and is expected to come online between 2014 and 2015.
Map of Qatar's North Field
North Field
The North Field is key to Qatar's natural gas development and production plans, as the site of nearly all of the country's natural gas reserves. In 2005, Qatari government officials placed a moratorium on additional natural gas development projects at the North Field to allow time to study field development optimization. During the moratorium, ongoing exploration on both sides of the maritime boundary is causing pressure drops in various wells leading to liquid formation that results in slowed or blocked flows.The moratorium did not affect exploration and production projects already approved or underway, allowing Qatar to continue its growth in natural gas production. Although the moratorium was scheduled to be lifted in 2014, the Energy Ministry indicated in late 2010 that it does not plan to lift the moratorium at that time. The Barzan gas project, which will produce an additional 600 Bcf per year, was the last North Field project to be approved prior to the moratorium. The project will be a 90-10 joint venture between QP and ExxonMobil, and is expected to come online between 2014 and 2015.
Map of Qatar's North Field
Adapted from IHS Energy
Production and consumption
Exports
In 2011, Qatar exported over 4,200 Bcf of natural gas, of which over 80 percent was LNG primarily to Asia and Europe. The United States received 90 Bcf of Qatar's LNG, which represented 26 percent of total U.S. imports of LNG in 2011. The remaining exports (680 Bcf) of natural gas were transferred through the Dolphin pipeline to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.
Although Qatar only began exporting LNG in 1997, heavy government emphasis on this sector — both in terms of generating investments and attracting foreign investors — contributed to the rapid development of Qatar's LNG capacity. Qatar's LNG sector is dominated by Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas), which operates four major LNG ventures (Qatargas I-IV), and Ras Laffan Company Limited (RasGas), which operates three major LNG ventures (RasGas I-III). RasGas is 70 percent owned by QP and 30 percent-owned by ExxonMobil, while the Qatargas consortium includes QP, Total, ExxonMobil, Mitsui, Marubeni, ConocoPhillips, and Shell. Each venture has an individual ownership structure, although QP owns at least 65 percent of all the above ventures.
RasGas and Qatargas have 14 LNG trains currently online, with a total LNG liquefaction capacity of 3,750 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/y) (77 million tonnes per year (MMt/y)) achieved in December 2010. Five of these trains were added in 2009 and 2010. RasGas III, Train 7, with a liquefaction capacity of 380 Bcf/y (7.8 MMt/y) of LNG began operations in February of 2010. Qatargas III, Train 6, came online in November of 2010 with the same liquefaction capacity. The 14th train, Qatargas IV Train 7, with the same capacity of 380 Bcf/y (7.8 MMt/y) came online in January 2011 and shipped its first cargo in February of this year. The 7.8 MMt/y train is considered a mega-train and currently has the largest operating capacity in the world.
Qatari government officials have noted that they do not anticipate building any more LNG facilities in the near-term future and that any additional capacity increases will be the result of improvements in the existing facilities. Although the most recent train additions were originally designed with U.S. markets as the primary target, the global recession and low U.S. natural gas prices due to the shale gas boom have caused Qatar to pursue contract options with other countries — particularly China and India.
Dolphin Project
Qatar is the supplier for the Dolphin Project, which connects the natural gas networks of Qatar, the UAE, and Oman with the first cross-border natural gas pipeline in the Gulf Arab region. The pipeline currently exports about 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from Qatar, although it has a design capacity of 3.2 Bcf/d. Dolphin Energy has been trying to secure additional Qatari gas to meet the rapidly growing demand for natural gas in the UAE. However, increased supplies from Qatar are uncertain. Additional international pipelines to Kuwait and Bahrain via Saudi Arabia and to Pakistan were proposed but face indefinite delays because of political and financial issues.
Liquefied natural gas
Qatar is the world's leading LNG exporter.
Qatar is the world's leading LNG exporter. In 2011, Qatar exported nearly 3,600 Bcf of LNG. The United Kingdom, Japan, India, and South Korea were the primary destinations for Qatar's LNG exports. Asia was the principal import hub, accounting for 48 percent of Qatar's LNG in 2011. European markets, including Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Spain were also significant buyers of Qatari LNG, accounting for an additional 42 percent. Although Qatar only began exporting LNG in 1997, heavy government emphasis on this sector — both in terms of generating investments and attracting foreign investors — contributed to the rapid development of Qatar's LNG capacity. Qatar's LNG sector is dominated by Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas), which operates four major LNG ventures (Qatargas I-IV), and Ras Laffan Company Limited (RasGas), which operates three major LNG ventures (RasGas I-III). RasGas is 70 percent owned by QP and 30 percent-owned by ExxonMobil, while the Qatargas consortium includes QP, Total, ExxonMobil, Mitsui, Marubeni, ConocoPhillips, and Shell. Each venture has an individual ownership structure, although QP owns at least 65 percent of all the above ventures.
RasGas and Qatargas have 14 LNG trains currently online, with a total LNG liquefaction capacity of 3,750 billion cubic feet per year (Bcf/y) (77 million tonnes per year (MMt/y)) achieved in December 2010. Five of these trains were added in 2009 and 2010. RasGas III, Train 7, with a liquefaction capacity of 380 Bcf/y (7.8 MMt/y) of LNG began operations in February of 2010. Qatargas III, Train 6, came online in November of 2010 with the same liquefaction capacity. The 14th train, Qatargas IV Train 7, with the same capacity of 380 Bcf/y (7.8 MMt/y) came online in January 2011 and shipped its first cargo in February of this year. The 7.8 MMt/y train is considered a mega-train and currently has the largest operating capacity in the world.
Qatari government officials have noted that they do not anticipate building any more LNG facilities in the near-term future and that any additional capacity increases will be the result of improvements in the existing facilities. Although the most recent train additions were originally designed with U.S. markets as the primary target, the global recession and low U.S. natural gas prices due to the shale gas boom have caused Qatar to pursue contract options with other countries — particularly China and India.
Dolphin Project
Qatar is the supplier for the Dolphin Project, which connects the natural gas networks of Qatar, the UAE, and Oman with the first cross-border natural gas pipeline in the Gulf Arab region. The pipeline currently exports about 2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from Qatar, although it has a design capacity of 3.2 Bcf/d. Dolphin Energy has been trying to secure additional Qatari gas to meet the rapidly growing demand for natural gas in the UAE. However, increased supplies from Qatar are uncertain. Additional international pipelines to Kuwait and Bahrain via Saudi Arabia and to Pakistan were proposed but face indefinite delays because of political and financial issues.
Gas-to-liquids
Qatar's Oryx GTL project is in operation and the Pearl GTL project is expected to begin operations in 2011.
Gas-to-liquids (GTL) technology uses a refining process to turn natural gas into liquid fuels such as low-sulfur diesel and naphtha, among other products. Qatar is one of only three countries — with South Africa and Malaysia being the others — to have operational GTL facilities. Qatar's Oryx GTL plant (QP 51 percent, Sasol-Chevron GTL 49 percent) came online in 2007, but due to initial problems, was not fully operational until early 2009. At full capacity, the Oryx project uses about 330 MMcf/d of natural gas feedstock from the Al Khaleej field to produce 30,000 bbl/d of GTL.
The Pearl GTL project (QP 51 percent, Shell 49 percent) is expected to use 1.6 Bcf/d of natural gas feedstock to produce 140,000 bbl/d of GTL products as well as 120,000 bbl/d of associated condensate and LPG. Shell announced that the plant's initial phase commenced early in 2011 and the first shipments of gasoil were sent out in June. After initiating the second phase of development, Pearl GTL achieved full capacity in October 2012. In addition to being the largest GTL plant in the world, the Pearl project is also the first integrated GTL operation, meaning it will have upstream natural gas production integrated with the onshore conversion plant.
The Pearl GTL project (QP 51 percent, Shell 49 percent) is expected to use 1.6 Bcf/d of natural gas feedstock to produce 140,000 bbl/d of GTL products as well as 120,000 bbl/d of associated condensate and LPG. Shell announced that the plant's initial phase commenced early in 2011 and the first shipments of gasoil were sent out in June. After initiating the second phase of development, Pearl GTL achieved full capacity in October 2012. In addition to being the largest GTL plant in the world, the Pearl project is also the first integrated GTL operation, meaning it will have upstream natural gas production integrated with the onshore conversion plant.
Notes
- Data presented in the text are the most recent available as of January 30, 2013.
- Data are EIA estimates unless otherwise noted.
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