State-owned QatarEnergy has delayed the startup of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) production train under its North Field East (NFE) project from the originally planned 2026 to the first half of 2027. Energy Minister and QatarEnergy CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could affect the delivery schedule of new equipment, according to reports.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in New York on September 21 (local time), Al-Kaabi reportedly said that “it will depend a lot on the Hormuz Strait for the additional trains that are going to come, because that could push it back if we can’t get facilities coming in.” The remarks come amid concerns that Qatar’s Ras Laffan export complex has suffered damage equivalent to roughly 17% of its production capacity from earlier attacks, with repairs to the damaged trains potentially taking up to three years. NFE is the first phase of Qatar’s broader North Field expansion program, aimed at increasing output from the world’s largest single natural gas field.
The commercial startup target for NFE Train 1 has reportedly been adjusted from 2026 to the first half of 2027. The subsequent second-phase project, North Field South (NFS), is said to retain its existing 2028 startup target. The Ras Laffan export complex is reported to have sustained damage equivalent to about 17% of its total production capacity from the regional security incident.
The schedule adjustment illustrates how geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are directly affecting the timeline of Qatar’s large-scale LNG expansion program.
Since Qatar has been expected to account for a significant share of global LNG supply growth between 2026 and 2030, this delay could have some impact on the medium- to long-term procurement planning of major Asian and European importers, according to analysts. It is also notable that Al-Kaabi indicated Qatar would adjust its strategy to strengthen its position as “the largest LNG trader in the world” during the interim period. This is interpreted as an attempt to maintain market influence through spot and intermediary trading even as expansion of its own production is delayed. Industry observers also note that if Strait of Hormuz risks persist, other LNG projects in the region that rely on equipment deliveries through the same route could face similar schedule disruptions. In addition, while new volumes of Qatari LNG are delayed, competing supply countries such as the United States and Australia could gain a relatively favorable position as their own new projects come online. Overall, the announcement illustrates how geopolitical risk in the Middle East is adding uncertainty not just to individual companies’ production plans, but to the broader trajectory of global LNG supply.
How the Strait of Hormuz transit situation develops over the coming months will directly affect the schedule for subsequent NFE trains and NFS, warranting continued monitoring. The progress of repairs to damaged facilities at the Ras Laffan export complex is also a key indicator of Qatar’s actual export capacity. It also remains to be seen what concrete form Qatar’s announced expansion of trading activities will take, such as renegotiated long-term contracts or expanded spot market participation. How the startup schedules of competing new LNG projects in the United States and Australia unfold alongside this Qatari delay is also worth watching.