Qatar says it sees ‘no limit’ to German gas shipments amid World Cup controversy

Qatar said there was no limit to the amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) that the country is willing to ship to Germany, after signing a 15-year deal on Tuesday.

QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips signed two sales and purchase agreements to export 2 million tonnes LNG annually to Germany for at least 15 years from 2026, as Berlin seeks new energy partnerships following a plunge in gas supply from Russia.

Berlin has been looking to shift supplier because of its over-reliance on Moscow energy supplies following the invasion of Ukraine.

The deal is the first of its kind to Europe from Qatar’s North Field expansion project. It is estimated to provide Germany with 2 million tonnes of LNG annually, arriving from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Germany’s northern LNG terminal of Brunsbuettel, QatarEnergy’s chief executive said.

“(The agreements) mark the first ever long-term LNG supply agreement to Germany, with a supply period that extends for at least 15 years, thus contributing to Germany’s long-term energy security,” Saad al-Kaabi said in a joint news conference with ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance.

The historic deal comes just days after Germany’s players covered their mouths during a team photo at the World Cup in protest against Fifa’s threats to teams wanting to wear the OneLove armbands.

Speaking about the ‘covered mouths’ gesture after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Japan, Germany coach Hansi Flick said: “It was a sign, a message that we wanted to send out. We wanted to convey the message that Fifa is silencing us.”

He was referring to the fact that those nations wanting to wear the OneLove armband were threatened by Fifa with sporting sanctions – starting with the issuing of yellow cards to their captains – if the rainbow-coloured armbands were worn.

The gesture brought a backlash from ordinary Qataris.

With agencies