QatarEnergy launches giant LNG tanker project in collaboration with China

QatarEnergy is investing six billion dollars in a project to build 18 giant LNG carriers, marking a record in the shipbuilding industry.

Share:

QatarEnergy et la Chine s'engagent dans le projet de construction de 18 méthaniers géants pour renforcer la distribution mondiale de GNL.

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

QatarEnergy has signed a $6 billion agreement with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for the construction of 18 giant LNG carriers, a contract described by the company as the most significant in the history of shipbuilding. These vessels, among the largest ever built, will be built at the Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard and are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2031.

Global Implications and Perspectives

Qatar, a world leader in liquefied natural gas (LNG) productionThis is in response to growing demand from key customers in China, Japan and South Korea, as well as in Europe, where demand has soared following complications with Russian gas supplies due to the war in Ukraine. This massive fleet expansion is designed to support Qatar’s recent long-term gas supply contracts with energy giants such as Total, Shell, Petronet, Sinopec and Eni.

QatarEnergy Strategy and Future Developments

In addition to shipbuilding, QatarEnergy is investing in the future of its energy infrastructure with the North Field expansion project, representing one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves. The project, which began last year, underlines Qatar’s ambition to strengthen its dominant position in the global LNG market, with significant implications for global energy security.
The partnership between QatarEnergy and CSSC is not only a major milestone in shipbuilding, but also a strategic move by QatarEnergy to position Qatar as a central pivot in the future of global energy.

Argentinian consortium Southern Energy will supply up to two million tonnes of LNG per year to Germany’s Sefe, marking the first South American alliance for the European importer.
The UK government has ended its financial support for TotalEnergies' liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique, citing increased risks and a lack of national interest in continuing its involvement.
Faced with a climate- and geopolitically-constrained winter, Beijing announces expected record demand for electricity and gas, placing coal, LNG and UHV grids at the centre of a national energy stress test.
The Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities have launched an investigation into the drone attack targeting the Khor Mor gas field, which halted production and caused widespread electricity outages.
PetroChina internalises three major gas storage sites through two joint ventures with PipeChina, representing 11 Gm³ of capacity, in a CNY40.02bn ($5.43bn) deal consolidating control over its domestic gas network.
The European Union is facilitating the use of force majeure to exit Russian gas contracts by 2028, a risky strategy for companies still bound by strict legal clauses.
Amid an expected LNG surplus from 2026, investors are reallocating positions toward the EU carbon market, betting on tighter supply and a bullish price trajectory.
Axiom Oil and Gas is suing Tidewater Midstream for $110mn over a gas handling dispute tied to a property for sale in the Brazeau region, with bids due this week.
Tokyo Gas has signed a 20-year agreement with US-based Venture Global to purchase one million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas starting in 2030, reinforcing energy flows between Japan and the United States.
Venture Global accuses Shell of deliberately harming its operations over three years amid a conflict over spot market liquefied natural gas sales outside long-term contracts.
TotalEnergies ends operations of its Le Havre floating LNG terminal, installed after the 2022 energy crisis, due to its complete inactivity since August 2024.
Golar LNG has completed a $1.2bn refinancing for its floating LNG unit Gimi, securing extended financing terms and releasing net liquidity to strengthen its position in the liquefied natural gas market.
Woodside Energy and East Timor have reached an agreement to assess the commercial viability of a 5 million-tonne liquefied natural gas project from the Greater Sunrise field, with first exports targeted between 2032 and 2035.
In California, electricity production from natural gas is falling as solar continues to rise, especially between noon and 5 p.m., according to 2025 data from local grid authorities.
NextDecade has launched the pre-filing procedure to expand Rio Grande LNG with a sixth train, leveraging a political and commercial context favourable to US liquefied natural gas exports.
Condor Energies has completed drilling its first horizontal well in Uzbekistan, supported by two recompletions that increased daily production to 11,844 barrels of oil equivalent.
WhiteWater expands the Eiger Express pipeline in Texas, boosting its transport capacity to 3.7 billion cubic feet per day following new long-term contractual commitments.
The challenge to permits granted for the NESE project revives tensions between gas supply imperatives and regulatory consistency, as legal risks mount for regulators and developers.
Brasilia is preparing a regulatory overhaul of the LPG sector to break down entry barriers in a market dominated by Petrobras and four major distributors, as the Gás do Povo social programme intensifies pressure on prices.
The lifting of force majeure on the Rovuma LNG project puts Mozambique back on the global liquefied natural gas map, with a targeted capacity of 18 Mt/year and a narrowing strategic window to secure financing.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.