Today, Qatar is among the world’s wealthiest countries. Its rich hydrocarbon resources have transformed this small Gulf state into an energy powerhouse, funded its outsized global ambitions, and allowed it to forge an identity separate from those of its large and powerful neighbors.

Drawing on Michael D. Tusiani’s firsthand accounts and deep personal experience in the energy sector and Anne-Marie Johnson’s years of reporting, this book explores how Qatar became a major player in the global energy market. It follows the twists and turns of Qatar’s road to riches, from the first interest by British and American oil companies in the 1920s to the decades it took to develop the North field?the world’s largest gas field?following its discovery in 1971 through the country’s emergence as one of the world’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the 2000s.

From Black Gold to Frozen Gas details the technical, financial, and political challenges involved in getting Qatar’s first LNG projects off the ground. It shows how, despite missteps and setbacks, the foundations of today’s Qatar were laid over many decades. And it chronicles epic rivalries within the ruling Al Thani family, among oil companies, and in the geopolitics of the energy landscape.

Part historical analysis, part in-the-room narrative, From Black Gold to Frozen Gas is the definitive account of oil and gas development in Qatar.

This book explores how Qatar became a major player in the global energy market. Part historical analysis, part in-the-room narrative, it is the definitive account of oil and gas development in Qatar.

Foreword Preface List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. Qatar Before Oil: A Historical Perspective 2. Qatar’s First Oil Concession: Twists and Turns 3. Eureka! Oil Is Discovered at Qatar’s Dukhan Field 4. Choppy Waters: Qatar’s First Marine Oil Concession 5. Qatar’s Ruler Presses for Better Oil Terms 6. Labor Strikes, Another Abdication, and an Industrial Project 7. Independence, First Gas Liquids Project, and a Bloodless Coup 8. The Early Khalifa Years: 1970s Resource Nationalism 9. Explosion Destroys Qatar’s First NGL Plant 10. Crunch Time Looms for North West Dome Gas Field 11. Partners Selected for Major North Field Gas Project 12. Qatar Embarks on First Stage of North Field Gas Project 13. Rocky Road for Qatar’s First LNG Project 14. Tough Launch for Mobil’s RasGas LNG Project 15. Financial Difficulties Mount After 1995 Coup Epilogue: North Field Gas Transforms Qatar into Energy Superpower Acknowledgments Bibliography Index About the Authors