Qatar’s production capacity remains on the upswing. Train number 7 in Qatar’s Ras Laffan 3 liquefaction terminal became operational in the first quarter of 2010. With this train, RasGas’s total capacity comes to 36.3 million tonnes per year. Production in QatarGas’s sixth LNG plant commenced in September, the seventh in December.

In mid June, the Iranian government abandoned development (phase 13) of the gigantic South Pars deposit (one of the largest in the world, with some 60,000 bcm). International sanctions and serious competition among LNG providers are leading Iranian officials to reconsider abandoning the goal of constructing an LNG export plant, analysing the options of exporting via pipeline. India constitutes one of its objectives, with whom it has maintained talks. The hypothetical gas pipeline would run across the Arabian Sea floor, making sure not to cross into Pakistani territory. It could also become one of Europe’s suppliers (via Nabucco), but, as is well known, the situation must change. Lest we forget that Iran ranks second in the world in terms of proved natural gas reserves.

In April 2010, Yemen LNG launched its second LNG train in the Balhaf plant. The plant now has a capacity of 6.7 million tonnes/year.

According to certain experts, bearing in mind the current state of its oil and gas production, Iraq has the potential to export 20 bcm of natural gas per year. However, the vast majority of this gas is burned. Shell is devising a plan to harness 70% of the gas that, today, burns away.