Qatar is in talks to make Chinese firms partners in its liquefied natural gas expansion project, the world's largest, in a shift from the Qatar’s reliance on western majors for technology and global outreach, industry sources said.
Three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters state energy giant Qatar Petroleum (QP) was in talks with Chinese state firms, including PetroChina and Sinopec, for equity stakes in Qatar's $28.7 billion North Field expansion, the world's biggest single LNG project.
Western majors ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Total, Chevron and Eni have also been invited to bid for a share.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is private, although CNOOC Ltd's CFO Xie Weizhi said last month the firm was "very interested" in Qatar's gas projects.
It was unclear how advanced the talks were. One of the sources said PetroChina was discussing a 5% stake.
The North Field expansion should allow Qatar to strengthen its position as the largest LNG exporter, with output of 110 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2026, a 40% increase.