Qatar soon to be world's top LNG producer

Qatar is set to reach a liquefied natural gas production target of 77 million tonnes per annum, the world's largest LNG capacity, the country's energy minister has said.

Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, the Minister of State for Energy and Industry Affairs, said preparations are underway to celebrate the country reaching the target.

As a global leader in LNG industry, Qatar plays an essential role in delivering energy to regional markets as well as those in North and South America, Asia and Europe, he said while addressing the International Conference of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators in Doha on Tuesday.

Despite the instability of the global economy particularly since 2008, Qatar remained focused on achieving long-term strategic targets and objectives, Al-Sada added.

"We have done so, confident in the knowledge that the success of investments in the energy industry is measured over decades, not months, and that the global economy will rebound, restoring the underlying fundamentals upon which Qatar's investment strategies were based," the minister said.

He also said many of Qatar's oil and petrochemical projects are under implementation and on target.