The natural gas in Qatar covers a large portion of the world supply of natural gas. According to the Oil & Gas Journal, as of January 1, 2011, reserves of natural gas in Qatar were measured at approximately 896 trillion cubic feet (25.4 trillion cubic metres); this measurement means that the state contains 14% of all known natural-gas reserves, as the world's third-largest reserves, behind Russia and Iran.[1] The majority of Qatar's natural gas is located in the massive offshore North Field, which spans an area roughly equivalent to Qatar itself. A part of the world's largest non-associated, natural-gas field, the North Field, is a geological extension of Iran's South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field, which holds an additional 450 trillion cubic feet (13 trillion cubic metres) of recoverable natural-gas reserves.[2]
While Qatar is a significant oil producer, the government has devoted more resources to the development of natural gas in the contemporary era, particularly for export as liquefied natural gas (LNG). In 2006, Qatar reportedly surpassed Indonesia to become the largest exporter of LNG in the world.[3] Together, revenues from the oil and natural-gas sectors amount to 60% of the country's GDP. Domestically, Qatar's energy supply is produced almost exclusively by natural gas (99.2%), with oil making up the rest (0.8%).[4]
As of 2021, Qatar was ranked as the world's sixth-largest dry natural gas producer and the second-largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. It holds the position of being the third-largest holder of natural gas reserves globally.[5]