In brief
QatarEnergy concluded a long‑term contract with Australian operator Woodside Energy to acquire up to 3 million tonnes of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year, establishing the company as the largest U.S. LNG buyer. The deal will start in 2030 once the second liquefaction train at the Louisiana LNG project becomes operational and expand to full volumes when the third train launches. Qatar's energy officials see the agreement as a key part of the company’s diversification and global supply strategy.
On 29 October 2026, in Doha, QatarEnergy announced that it had signed a 20‑year agreement with Australia’s Woodside Energy to purchase up to 3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Louisiana LNG project in the United States.
The sale-and-purchase contract covers a free‑on‑board basis and stipulates that deliveries will commence in 2030, once the project’s second liquefaction train becomes operational. Woodside indicated that supply would ramp up to the full 3 million tonnes per year when the third train starts operating.
Saad Sherida Al‑Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy’s President and CEO, said the additional volumes will make QatarEnergy the largest U.S. LNG buyer and strengthen the company’s ability to meet growing global demand. He noted that the purchase supports a broader strategy of diversification and long‑term growth.
The agreement is part of QatarEnergy’s broader move to expand its global LNG supply and trading portfolio, a goal highlighted in the company’s recent statements on its expansion strategy. It follows earlier joint ventures, including the Golden Pass LNG project, a partnership with U.S. partners that aims to further broaden the company’s presence in the U.S. LNG market.
Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project, currently under construction along the Gulf Coast, will add significant throughput once all three trains are in operation. The incremental increase from the second to the third train mirrors the staged approach QatarEnergy and Woodside have adopted to align supply with infrastructure readiness.
At the time of signing, QatarEnergy’s existing LNG portfolio spans several continents, and the new U.S. volumes are expected to reinforce the company’s position as an important buyer in the global market. Analysts point to the deal’s timing—beginning in 2030—as a strategic move to dovetail with the expected growth in U.S. LNG export capacity over the next decade.
While the contract’s long‑term nature signals confidence from both parties, the deal’s execution will depend on the completion status of the Louisiana LNG project’s second and third trains. Both companies have emphasized that these milestones must be met before full delivery volumes can be realized.
Sources do not mention any outstanding uncertainties regarding the terms of the agreement itself, other than the normal variability associated with large‑scale LNG projects. The timeline for deliveries, however, remains contingent on the progress of the project’s construction and commissioning phases.
