Qatar Petroleum (QP) has inked another long-term sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to supply Royal Dutch Shell plc with 1 million tons (Mt) of liquefied natural gas (LNG). 

Under the deal, QP would begin providing Shell with supplies from its Qatargas 1 trains beginning in January for 10 years. Shell would then deliver the cargoes to China. LNG imports are on the rise as the country fuels economic growth and aims to meet ambitious climate goals. 

Data from various ship-tracking services shows China may surpass Japan this year as the world’s largest LNG importer. About two-thirds of Qatar’s LNG supplies are delivered throughout Asia. State-owned QP provides China with 12 Mt/year of LNG under long-term SPAs. 

Qatar has long been the world’s leading LNG supplier. It...