Doha Announces Completion of LNG Merger

Logo of Qatargas is seen outside its building in Doha, Qatar, June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
Logo of Qatargas is seen outside its building in Doha, Qatar, June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
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Doha Announces Completion of LNG Merger

Logo of Qatargas is seen outside its building in Doha, Qatar, June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
Logo of Qatargas is seen outside its building in Doha, Qatar, June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

Qatar said Wednesday that Qatargas and RasGas had merged in a move aimed at cutting costs and creating a global energy giant in a plan first announced in December 2016.

Qatargas and RasGas, operators of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, were merged under the brand name Qatargas.

"On January 1, we announced the birth of the new Qatargas," the chief executive of national oil company Qatar Petroleum, Saad al-Kaabi, told a press conference.

Kaabi said the merger will save two billion Qatari riyals ($545 million) annually.

He added that Qatar wanted to create a truly unique global energy operator in terms of size, service and reliability.

The conference was attended by senior executives from ExxonMobil, Total, Shell and ConocoPhillips, which are Qatargas' shareholders.

Current Qatargas CEO Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa al-Thani has been appointed as the CEO of the new Qatargas. 



EU to Keep US Trade Countermeasures on Hold Until August

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 13 July 2025. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 13 July 2025. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
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EU to Keep US Trade Countermeasures on Hold Until August

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 13 July 2025. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint press conference with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 13 July 2025. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS

The EU will extend its suspension of countermeasures to US tariffs until early August as it aims for a negotiated solution on trade with the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump escalated his global trade war on Saturday and threatened to impose a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union from Aug. 1, separate from sector-specific duties, despite months of intense talks.

Announcing the extension of the halt on retaliatory measures, von der Leyen told reporters the bloc would "continue to prepare further countermeasures so we are fully prepared."

A first package of countermeasures to US tariffs on steel and aluminium that would hit 21 billion euros ($24.6 billion) in US goods was suspended in April for 90 days to allow time for negotiations.

The suspension had been due to expire on Monday.

A second package has been in the works since May and would target 72 billion euros of US goods, but these measures have not yet been made public and the final list requires approval by member states.

Von der Leyen added that use of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument was not yet on the table.

"The (anti-coercion) instrument is created for extraordinary situations, we are not there yet," Reuters quoted her as saying.

The instrument allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on EU members to change their policies.

Possible retaliatory steps could include restricting EU market access to goods and services, and other economic measures related to areas including foreign direct investment, financial markets and export controls.