In an interview with the Strategic Council for Foreign Relations website about some speculations regarding the transfer of Qatar’s gas to Europe via pipeline, especially after the recent developments in Syria, Mohammad Ali Khatibi stated: The transfer of gas via pipeline in various European routes is not a new issue and has been repeated many times.

He continued: There have been many discussions about the transfer of gas via pipelines from Central Asia to Europe, but what has been realized is limited, and even Europe, in order to ensure its energy security, is more interested in importing LNG, which is much more flexible than gas pipelines. In addition, the experience of the Russian gas pipeline to Europe and the problems that arose for the Europeans showed that Europe is no longer willing to continue this interaction and prefers to import LNG from other markets and ensure its energy security.

This senior oil and energy expert said: Of course, the developments in Syria should be taken into account, which could be one of the reasons for raising this issue. If Syria falls into the hands of pro-Turkish and pro-Qatari forces, it is a development that could once again raise the issue of transporting gas through the pipeline. However, it is not clear to what extent these developments will affect Qatar’s export policy.

Khatibi stated that Qatar’s gas export policy is not in the form of a pipeline but has been based on LNG. Even for Qatar’s neighbors who wanted to buy piped gas and had no security problem building a pipeline, Qatar refused. Also, Qatar’s development plans are mainly based on LNG exports. The contracts Qatar has for gas exports to Germany or other countries are all based on LNG unless recent regional political developments may cause changes in Qatar’s policy, which is unlikely.

This senior oil and energy expert clarified that Qatar has also played a role in the developments in Syria, so it may want to export its gas to Europe via pipeline. However, before that, the situation in Syria needs to stabilize for this to be possible.

Khatibi emphasized That the main issue is that Qatar has already pre-sold its gas, and there is nothing it wants to send to Europe. Currently, all the gas produced by Qatar is converted into LNG, and it has no free capacity to make new decisions. Therefore, this news is mostly media speculation. Although transporting gas and exporting it to Europe via pipeline has always been an option and can always be chosen, it remains to be seen whether its costs and benefits are justified for Qatar.

He continued: “If Qatar wants to choose the pipeline route for its gas exports to Europe, it must depend on the countries through which the pipeline passes and pay some costs. In addition, most of these countries are dangerous in terms of security, and a change in their policy will create problems for exports. These are issues that are certainly important in the eyes of the Qataris.”

Khatibi noted: “From the beginning, and since it was able to export its gas as a gas supplier, Qatar has exported gas in the form of LNG. Of course, various countries made investments there to bring the necessary technology to Qatar. Still, this Qatari export policy has been based on LNG shipments to the West and the East, and it is unlikely that this policy will change simply because of political changes in Syria and Turkey’s proximity to it.”

This oil and energy expert stated: “Europe, with its experience with the Russian pipeline, is not very interested in importing gas through the pipeline and prefers to meet its needs with LNG, and it is unlikely that Europe will welcome the transmission of Qatari gas through the Turkish pipeline.”