The natural gas in Qatar covers a large portion of the world supply of natural gas. According to Oil & Gas Journal, as of January 1, 2011, reserves of natural gas in Qatar were measured at approximately 896 trillion cubic feet (25.4 trillion cubic metres); this measurement means that the state contains 14% of all known natural-gas reserves, as the world's third-largest reserves, behind Russia and Iran The majority of Qatar's natural gas is located in the massive offshore North Field, which spans an area roughly equivalent to Qatar itself. A part of the world's largest non-associated, natural-gas field, the North Field, is a geological extension of Iran's South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field, which holds an additional 450 trillion cubic feet (13 trillion cubic metres) of recoverable natural-gas reserves. While Qatar is a member of the OPEC and is a significant oil producer, the government has devoted more resources to the development of natural gas in the contemporary era, particularly for export as liquefied natural gas (LNG). In 2006, Qatar reportedly surpassed Indonesia to become the largest exporter of LNG in the world. Together, revenues from the oil and natural-gas sectors amount to 60% of the country's GDP. Domestically, the vast majority of Qatar's total energy consumption comes from natural gas (79%), whilst the balance is supplied by oil Qatar Petroleum (QP) is a state owned petroleum company in Qatar. The company operates all oil and gas activities in Qatar, including exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage. QP's chairman is Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry, and managing director is Saad Sherida Al Kaabi. QP's operations are therefore directly linked with state planning agencies, regulatory authorities, and policymaking bodies. Together, revenues from oil and natural gas amount to 60 percent of the country's GDP. Currently it is the third largest oil company in the world by oil and gas reserves QP operates Qatar's oil pipeline network, which transports supplies from oil fields to the country's lone refinery and export terminals. QP operates an expansive offshore pipeline network that brings crude oil from offshore oil fields to Halul Island, where oil can be processed for export. Onshore, most oil is sent to Umm Said for refining or export. Qatar has three primary export terminals: Umm Said, Halul Island, and Ras Laffan. Qatar typically exports around 600,000 bbl/d (95,000 m3/d) of crude and about 20,000 bbl/d (3,200 m3/d) of refined petroleum products. Most exports go to Asia, with Japan as the single largest receiver (about 380,000 bbl/d (60,000 m3/d) of crude in 2006). In the international market, the major customers are Emirates National Oil Co. (ENOC), Glencore, Bakri Trading, Vitol, Mitsui and ITOCHU. Refining is carried out by the National Oil Distribution Co. (NODCO), a subsidiary of QP established in 1968. Qatar's first refinery was built in Umm Said in 1953. A second refinery was completed in 1974. By the early 1980s, growth in local consumption was such that Qatar began importing refined products. In 1983, a 50,000 bbl/d (7,900 m3/d) refinery came online at Umm Said. Currently, Umm Said has a refining capacity of 137,000 bbl/d (21,800 m3/d). QP is also building another refinery, which will have the capacity to run 146,000 bbl/d (23,200 m3/d) of condensate. Marketing and commercial aspects for the export of the Refinery Products are entirely controlled by the Qatar Petroleum Marketing Directorate

• published: 05 Mar 2016
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