Qatar natural gas project 'unaffected' by crisis - Emir

Natural gas projects in Qatar have not suffered from the economic crisis, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Gulf state's Emir, has said.

The Emir said there have been signs of improvement in the world economy "which is a cause to believe that the worst may be over".

"I would like to emphasise that none of our gas projects, which are under construction, was affected, whether in terms of the construction or the production operations or the building of supercarriers or the infrastructure projects at the consumption markets," he said during a ceremony marking the opening of Italy's Adriatic liquefied natural gas terminal.

He reiterated Qatar’s commitment to supply gas “in a sustained and secure manner", The Peninsula reported on Tuesday.

The project, which would cater for approximately 10 percent of Italy’s natural gas requirements, is designed to receive six million tonnes of LNG per annum and store, regasify and deliver them by pumping through an offshore pipeline into the Italian gas network.

“This project is a symbol that expresses the friendship between our two countries and peoples, and an example for technical and economic cooperation in the field of energy between corporations and companies,” said the Emir in comments published by the Qatar daily.

“It is the first of its kind in the world, It represents a qualitative leap in the manufacturing of LNG terminals, in terms of adherence to strict operational safety requirements and preserving the environment.”

The Adriatic LNG Terminal project is a giant platform located more than 40km offshore of the city of Venice.

The Emir said that after nearly two decades of persistent efforts and hard work to develop its massive natural gas reserves, Qatar had become a leading country in the gas industry and the leading LNG exporter and transporter worldwide.

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