McDermott Wins Offshore Work for Qatari LNG Expansion Project

Cars are parked outside the headquarters of Qatar Petroleum in Doha, Qatar, July 8, 2017. (Reuters)
Cars are parked outside the headquarters of Qatar Petroleum in Doha, Qatar, July 8, 2017. (Reuters)
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McDermott Wins Offshore Work for Qatari LNG Expansion Project

Cars are parked outside the headquarters of Qatar Petroleum in Doha, Qatar, July 8, 2017. (Reuters)
Cars are parked outside the headquarters of Qatar Petroleum in Doha, Qatar, July 8, 2017. (Reuters)

QatarEnergy said it has awarded an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the offshore portion of its massive North Field Liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion project to engineering company McDermott.

The project will increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity from 77 million tons per annum to 126 million tons per annum through the North Field East (NFE) and North Field South (NFS) expansion projects, with the first LNG expected in 2025.

The North Field lies off the northeast shore of the Qatar peninsula and is one of the largest single non-associated natural gas fields in the world.

According to press statement by QatarEnergy, the scope for the awarded contract includes 13 normally unmanned wellhead platforms topsides (eight for NFE and five for NFS), in addition to various connecting pipelines and the shore approaches for the NFE pipelines, beach valve stations and buildings.

The jackets and the pipelines for the NFS Project will be subject to a separate tender, which is expected to be awarded in the first half of 2022.



Gold Rebounds to End 6-Session Losing Streak as Dollar Rally Pauses

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
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Gold Rebounds to End 6-Session Losing Streak as Dollar Rally Pauses

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold prices rebounded on Monday, having posted losses in the previous six sessions, with gains driven by a pause in the dollar's rally, while investors await comments from the Federal Reserve officials for clarity on the interest rate trajectory.
Spot gold rose 1% to $2,587.83 per ounce by 0917 GMT, moving away from a two-month low hit on Thursday. US gold futures were up 0.9% at $2,592.20.
Gold prices last week saw their biggest weekly decline in over three years as expectations of less-aggressive interest rate cuts by the Fed boosted the dollar.
However, the dollar was holding flat below Thursday's one-year high after rising 1.6% last week. A softer dollar makes bullion less expensive for buyers holding other currencies, Reuters said.
"We can look to the dollar for a significant part of the current gold price corrections ... I'm not saying you've found a solid physical floor yet, but clearly, some opportunistic buying is coming in to support the market as well," independent analyst Ross Norman said.
"As the year ends, we will see volatility in gold prices and there'll be some books clearing and profit-taking, regardless of what the Fed does in December."
Recent US economic data has reduced expectations for a December rate cut by the Fed. At least seven US central bank officials are due to speak this week.
Higher interest rates make holding gold, which doesn't pay any interest, less attractive.
"President Trump's inauguration is likely to see an ongoing strengthening of the USD (US dollar), which is negative for gold in the short to medium term. However, as his stated policies are likely to be significantly inflationary in the long term, this will benefit gold," said Michael Langford, chief investment officer at Scorpion Minerals.
Spot silver rose 1.4% to $30.63 per ounce, platinum added 1.4% at $951.59 and palladium climbed 1.8% to $967.62.