DOHA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Qatar's state-owned energy company QatarEnergy announced Thursday that it has signed a 20-year agreement with Australian energy giant Woodside Energy to purchase up to 3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) annually from the Louisiana LNG project in the United States.
Under the sale and purchase agreement, deliveries will be made on a free-on-board basis and are expected to begin in 2030, QatarEnergy said in a statement.
The project is currently under construction along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Woodside said supplies would begin with the project's second liquefaction train and increase to 3 million tonnes annually when the third train starts operating.
Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and QatarEnergy President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi said the additional volumes made QatarEnergy the largest buyer of U.S. LNG and strengthened its ability to meet growing global demand.
He added that the joint Qatari-U.S. Golden Pass LNG project, together with expanding U.S. LNG purchases, supported the company's long-term growth and diversification strategy.
The agreement is part of QatarEnergy's efforts to expand its global LNG supply and trading portfolio, the statement said. ■
