Definition
The North Field is the world’s largest non-associated natural gas field, located beneath the Persian Gulf approximately 80 kilometres northeast of the Qatar Peninsula. The field extends across the maritime boundary between Qatar and Iran, where the Iranian portion is known as South Pars. Together, the North Field and South Pars contain an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas reserves, representing approximately 10 percent of the world’s proven natural gas reserves.
Geology and Scale
The North Field was discovered in 1971 and covers an area of approximately 6,000 square kilometres on the Qatari side. The reservoir sits at a depth of roughly 3,000 metres beneath the seabed. In addition to natural gas, the field contains significant quantities of natural gas liquids and condensate, which are extracted alongside the gas.
The field’s scale is the foundation of Qatar’s position as one of the world’s top producers and exporters of liquefied natural gas. Gas from the North Field feeds the LNG mega-trains at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the gas-to-liquids plants (Pearl GTL and Oryx GTL), and the domestic gas network that supplies power generation, desalination, and petrochemical production.
North Field Expansion
In 2017, Qatar lifted a self-imposed moratorium on further development of the North Field that had been in place since 2005. The subsequent North Field Expansion (NFE) project — comprising the North Field East and North Field South phases — is one of the largest energy projects in the world. Upon completion, the expansion will increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity from approximately 77 million tonnes per annum to 126 million tonnes per annum.
The expansion is led by QatarEnergy (formerly Qatar Petroleum) in partnership with major international oil companies, including TotalEnergies, Shell, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Eni.
Strategic Significance
The North Field is the cornerstone of Qatar’s economy and the principal source of national wealth. Revenue from gas exports finances the sovereign wealth fund (Qatar Investment Authority), funds infrastructure development, and underwrites the diversification strategy outlined in the National Vision 2030. The field’s management — including the pace of development and the selection of international partners — is among the most consequential strategic decisions made by the Qatari state.