Global energy major Total is very much interested in associating with Qatar Petroleum on the expansion of its LNG facilities, said Total’s senior vice-president (Middle East and North Africa) Laurent Vivier.
“When you talk about the liquefied natural gas industry, it is a bit difficult to avoid Qatar. Qatar is one of the mighty players in the LNG industry and now they are increasing their capacity to bring more LNG into the world. Definitely, we would like to be associated with that,” Vivier told Gulf Times in an interview in Doha.
Last month, Qatar Petroleum (QP) took the final investment decision for developing the $28.75bn North Field East Project (NFE), the world’s largest LNG project, which will raise Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77mn tons per year (mmtpy) to 110 mmtpy by 2025.
In addition to LNG, the project will produce condensate, LPG, ethane, sulfur and helium.
It is expected to start production in the fourth quarter of 2025 and its total production will reach about 1.4mn barrels oil equivalent per day.
“We are extremely attentive to all the efforts that are being made by QP in expanding their LNG capacity,” Vivier said when Gulf Times specifically referred to QP’s North Field East Project.
Total has been present in Qatar since 1936 and is active in all areas of Qatar’s oil and gas sector– from exploration and production to refining, petrochemicals, and marketing of lubricants.
Total is a shareholder with QP and sole operator of Al Khalij offshore oilfield. In 2016, Total won the bid for Al Shaheen offshore oilfield, resulting in the creation of North Oil Company, established as a partnership between Total and QP.
Total is also a founding partner of Qatargas, a founding member and leading partner of Dolphin Energy, and a partner of Muntajat.
Total also owns prominent shares in Qapco and Qatofin, and has a stake in the two Laffan Condensate Refineries operated by Qatargas.
Total Marketing Qatar has a prominent market share for lubricants in Qatar for automotive, construction, industrial and marine customers.
The Total Research Center Qatar at QSTP has leading edge and innovative research projects related to sustainable development, marine biodiversity, biofuels, and solar energy.
“Our commitment to sharing our expertise is fuelled by our aim to develop home-grown solutions to our local operational challenges. We are supporting and contributing to Qatar’s vision of developing a knowledge-based economy: TRC-Q also acts as a bridge between industry and academia to bring innovative solutions to our operations,” Vivier noted.
In 2020, Total and its partners Siraj Energy and Marubeni have entered into agreements for the development of Qatar’s first large-scale solar power plant - Al Kharsaah Solar PV IPP Project, a 800 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar plant that will be located 80 kilometers west of Doha, Qatar.