Gas Build-Up

ExxonMobil Qatar and Qatar Petroleum (QP) collectively developed the North Field, which is the world’s largest non-associated natural gas field. How has technology enabled you to develop that field?

ExxonMobil is honored to have played a significant role in helping Qatar develop the North Field in partnership with QP—and we couldn’t have done it without unique technologies and scale. Together, we took a complex problem and found cost-effective solutions that transformed this resource. At ExxonMobil, technology is the lifeblood of our company, and our 18,000 engineers and scientists are committed to overcoming the most difficult technological challenges. Many of the major advances in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market were developed by ExxonMobil, and we are proud to be one of the few companies in the world with the expertise and financial strength to deliver an integrated approach to LNG, from wellhead to consumer.

ExxonMobil is the only foreign player in two domestic gas projects: Al Khaleej Gas and the Barzan Gas Projects. What makes your company the only foreign player selected for these projects?

The Barzan Gas Project is a great example of what we can accomplish together for the sustainable development of Qatar, and RasGas has done an excellent job of running it on behalf of the shareholders, QP, and ExxonMobil. It is particularly important given the rapid economic and population growth we have seen over the past several years. The gas produced from the Barzan Gas Project will be used for power generation for the new airport and seaport, and for major infrastructure projects in transport, health and education. The Barzan Gas Project will ultimately supply 1.4 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day of gas. The groundwork for the Barzan Gas Project was laid by Al Khaleej Gas (AKG), our first domestic gas project in Qatar. Together, the first and second phases of AKG have the capacity to supply approximately 2 bcf per day, as well as condensate, ethane, and LPG. None of this would have been possible without the combined strengths of QP and ExxonMobil. I believe that our long-standing support for the vision of their Highnesses the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamed Al Thani and Father Emir is the real key to our success here, and why we have been trusted to partner with QP on these strategic projects.

The global energy market is going through times of change. How do you foresee the global energy mix developing and how will that affect Qatar?

Forecasting long-term energy trends begins with the simple fact: that people need energy. That is why we work relentlessly to apply the advanced technology needed to power lives, to deliver the energy needed to meet the world’s growing demand, giving billions of people across the globe the opportunity to improve their lives. Over the next few decades, population and income growth, and an unprecedented expansion of the global middle class, are expected to create new demands for energy. We see global energy consumption rising by about 35% from 2010 to 2040. By 2040, natural gas, nuclear, and renewables are expected to deliver more than 70% of the world’s electricity. Global demand for natural gas is projected to rise by 65% from 2010 to 2040, the largest volume growth of any energy source. It is in Qatar that this historic shift in the global energy mix is being led. Qatar is contributing to the greater use of natural gas worldwide, and is directly responsible for development of the global market for natural gas. Qatar has the capacity to produce 77 million tons per annum of LNG, which reaches markets around the world.