The three gas-fuelled turbo compressor strings will be employed on one of the planned two liquefaction trains. An engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender is due out in April for the contract to construct one train with capacity of about 7.5 million tonnes a year (t/y), with an option for a second of a similar size. Prequalification is ongoing.

Qatargas II is gradually taking shape. The first of two wells in the North field was spudded in late February. Front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies are nearing completion on both the upstream works and the liquefaction trains at Ras Laffan. Bidding is also under way among shipyards to supply Qatargas II with vessels of about 200,000 cubic metres' capacity each.

The integrated project calls for 15 million t/y of LNG to be delivered to the UK market starting in 2007 or 2008 (MEED 6:2:04).