Qatar’s energy minister said the first unit of the country’s large liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project will come into operation in the first half of 2027.

Qatar’s energy minister said the first unit of the country’s large liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project will come into operation in the first half of 2027.

Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said on Sunday at an economic conference in Qatar in New York that a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could also delay the start-up of subsequent units. Qatar had previously predicted that the Northeast North Field would be brought online this year.

The Islamic Republic’s attacks on the Ras Laffan complex in Esfand disabled two of the 14 liquefied natural gas production units and one of Qatar’s two gas-to-liquids plants, eliminating 17% of the country’s export capacity. Al-Kaabi had previously told Reuters that repairing these units would take three to five years and would wipe out $20 billion in annual revenue for Qatar.

He said on Sunday that the damaged parts of Ras Laffan will resume activity “within a few weeks” after the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Pearl GTL facilities of Shell, which were also damaged in the same attacks, will resume production in the first quarter of next year.