Eni CEO in Qatar To Discuss LNG Projects (Correction)

(Corrects timeframe for expansion from months to years in paragraph 1)

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi is the latest head of an international oil company to meet Qatar Petroleum CEO Saad Sherida al-Kaabi in the wake of QP's July 4 declaration that it means to expand LNG production by 30% to 100mn mt/yr within five to seven years.

The two top executives met in Doha July 23 and, according to Eni, "discussed different aspects of the present and possible future cooperation between Qatar and Eni in the LNG field and in the whole oil sector." Descalzi also met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

Eni buys LNG on a long-term contractual basis - chiefly through its Belgian subsidiary Distrigas although it has other Qatari LNG import contracts too.  

Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne met the QP CEO on July 11 and declared the French oil major's “willingness to further expand” in Qatar, shortly after senior executives of ExxonMobil and Shell were reported by Reuters to have visited the Gulf state to also discuss possible roles in Qatar's LNG expansion.

Eni currently has no upstream production or projects in Qatar. 

Until now, Mozambique was seen as Eni's long-term LNG development priority -- as it is developing the Coral South floating LNG venture there with partners for start up in 2022 -- but Qatar's announcement may prompt the Italian company to re-evaluate its post Coral FLNG options there.

Mark Smedley