What Namibia can learn from Qatar on Gas Development and Monetization (By NJ Ayuk)

What Namibia can learn from Qatar on Gas Development and Monetization (By NJ Ayuk)

When I was working on my 2019 book, Billions At Play: The Future of African Energy and Doing Deals, I wrote that Qatar was well on its way to achieving its goal of becoming the “Gas Capital of the World.” The tiny country is home to some of the largest gas-to-liquid (GTL) plants in the world and supplies more liquefied natural gas (LNG) than anyone else. It also uses its huge natural gas reserves, 872 trillion cubic feet (tcf), as feedstock for Qatar Fertilizer Company, the world’s largest single-site producer of ammonia and urea. Since I wrote about it, Qatar only has moved closer to achieving its natural gas ambitions and is in the process of expanding its LNG production capacity.

In 2019, I was excited about the positive example Qatar provided for African gas-producing states.

Today, I’m particularly encouraged that Namibia, home to several massive oil and gas discoveries in recent years, is building a solid business relationship with Qatar. State-owned QatarEnergy owns significant stakes in the 2022 discoveries Shell and TotalEnergies made offshore Namibia.

For Namibia, natural gas production is a highly promising opportunity to grow and diversify its economy and create energy security. It’s also uncharted territory. The recent discoveries