DOHA — Italian company Eni on Sunday joined
Qatar Energy’s $28.75 billion project to expand production from the world’s
biggest natural gas field, days after Russia slashed supplies to Italy.
اضافة اعلان
Eni will own a stake of just over 3 percent in the
North Field East project, Qatar Energy’s CEO told a signing ceremony in Doha.
Qatar announced last week that France’s
TotalEnergies will be its first, and largest, foreign partner on the
development, with a 6.25 percent share.
An unknown number of companies are also set to be
named.
The project’s LNG — the cooled form of gas that
makes it easier to transport — is expected to come on line in 2026. It will
expand Qatar’s LNG production from 77 million tonnes a year to 110 million,
Qatar Energy said.
The Qatari company estimates that the North Field,
which extends under the Gulf sea into Iranian territory, holds about 10 percent
of the world’s known gas reserves.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has injected urgency
into efforts around the world to develop new energy sources as Western
countries try to reduce their reliance on Russia.
On Friday, Eni said it would receive only 50 percent
of the gas requested from Russia’s Gazprom, the third day running of reduced
supplies. Rome has accused Gazprom of peddling “lies” over the cuts.
Kaabi refused to divulge how many more partners will
be announced. “We signed with everybody. We’re just not telling you,” he told
reporters.
More announcements are due this week. Industry
sources have discussed ExxonMobil, Shell and ConocoPhillips, while Bloomberg
has reported that Chinese companies are in talks.
Qatar, which is one of the world’s biggest LNG
exporters, is “sharing the risks of commercialization” by bringing partners on
board, said Thierry Bros, a professor at Paris’s Sciences Po and an expert on
energy and climate.
“There could also be a geopolitical vision,” he
added.
South Korea, Japan, and China have been the main
markets for Qatar’s LNG but since an energy crisis hit Europe last year, the
Gulf state has helped Britain with extra supplies and also announced a
cooperation deal with Germany.
Europe has in the past rejected the long-term deals
that Qatar seeks for its energy but the Ukraine war has forced a change in
attitude.
Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, and The Netherlands have had
their natural gas deliveries from Russia suspended for refusing to pay in
rubles.
Read more Region and World
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
