Qatar's Position in LNG Exports to South and Southeast Asian Countries

For many years, Qatar was the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, over the past 3 years, the country has fallen to third place in this indicator after Australia and the US, which have multiplied their production capacity. Due to increased competition in the market, Qatari authorities have announced expansion at the North Field, which will increase annual liquefaction capacity from 77 to 142 million tonnes of LNG (up 85% y/y) by 2030. This study examines the prospects for increasing Qatari LNG supply to South (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan) and Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries. In these countries, gas demand continues to grow, new LNG terminals are being built, and peak gas consumption is not expected until 2040. The paper analyses the present and future trends of the gas industry in Qatar and the selected region - infrastructure, supply contracts awarded, the role of gas in the energy transition, the countries' dependence on Qatari LNG imports, the region's role in Qatar's exports and others. The study found that the growing demand of South and Southeast Asian countries will not be covered by Qatar's new capacity, but the attractiveness of Qatari LNG for the region will grow due to its competitive price and geographical proximity. Keywords: LNG, Qatar, ASEAN, South Asia, natural gas, energy sector