QatarEnergy Names Shell Partner for LNG Expansion Project

Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, and CEO of Shell, Ben van Beurden, gesture after a singing agreement at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, October 23, 2022. (Reuters)
Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, and CEO of Shell, Ben van Beurden, gesture after a singing agreement at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, October 23, 2022. (Reuters)
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QatarEnergy Names Shell Partner for LNG Expansion Project

Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, and CEO of Shell, Ben van Beurden, gesture after a singing agreement at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, October 23, 2022. (Reuters)
Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, and CEO of Shell, Ben van Beurden, gesture after a singing agreement at a press conference in Doha, Qatar, October 23, 2022. (Reuters)

QatarEnergy's chief executive on Sunday named Shell a partner on the Gulf Arab state's North Field South expansion, part of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Shell will have a 9.3% share of the project and QatarEnergy will keep 75%, Saad al-Kaabi, who is also state minister for energy, said at a news conference.

The development contract for North Field South would be awarded in the first quarter of 2023, Kaabi said.

QatarEnergy was open to discussing working with Shell in all energy sectors, he added.

The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran, which calls its share South Pars.

State-owned QatarEnergy earlier this year signed deals for North Field East, the first and larger phase of the two-phase North Field expansion plan, which includes six LNG trains that will ramp up Qatar's liquefaction capacity from 77 million tons per annum to 126 million tons by 2027.

TotalEnergies, Shell, Exxon, ConocoPhillips and Eni took stakes in the North Field East expansion phase, and last month TotalEnergies was named as the first partner in the North Field South project.

QatarEnergy had said partners for the North Field South would be selected from those already involved in the first phase.



Gold Price Firms on Israel-Iran Conflict, Platinum Scales over 10-year High

Jewellery is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Jewellery is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
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Gold Price Firms on Israel-Iran Conflict, Platinum Scales over 10-year High

Jewellery is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo
Jewellery is displayed at the Gold Souk market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo

Gold prices gained on Thursday as fears of an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran drove investors towards the safe-haven metal, while platinum scaled its highest level since September 2014.

Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,374.49 an ounce at 1100 GMT US gold futures fell 0.5% to $3,391.00.

"We're seeing some haven flows in gold, which is really not surprising given what's happening ... with the fighting between Iran and Israel," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com.

Equity markets have dipped, which is also supporting the precious metal, Razaqzada added, Reuters reported.

Israel said on Friday it had struck Iran's only functioning nuclear power plant on the Gulf coast, potentially a major escalation in its air war against Iran.

Meanwhile, the Fed held interest rates steady on Wednesday and policymakers still forecast cutting rates by half-a-percentage point this year, but have slowed their overall outlook for rate cuts in response to a more challenging economic outlook.

However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell cautioned against putting too much weight on this outlook, warning of "meaningful" inflation ahead as higher import tariffs loom.

Gold is considered a safe-haven asset during times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. It also tends to thrive in a low-interest rate environment.

In other metals, platinum lost 2.5% to $1,289.71, having risen to its highest level since September 2014 earlier in the session.

Platinum prices are supported by rising Chinese imports, ongoing supply concerns, high lease rates and increased investor interest as high gold prices push consumers toward cheaper alternatives, analysts say.

"The supply-demand dynamics at play in the platinum market do hint at there being further upside in store for the price," KCM Trade Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer said.

Palladium lost 1.1% to $1,036.74, while silver fell 1.2% to $36.31 per ounce.