Qatar talks tough on project stakes in Japan LNG contract negotiations

Doha

QATAR Petroleum is warning Japanese natural gas buyers not to press too hard in long-term supply talks or Japanese companies could be squeezed out of Qatar's LNG projects, sources have told Reuters.

Qatar faces rising competition from a tide of new LNG from sources including Australia, which is expected to surpass it as the world's top exporter by 2019. That has emboldened buyers as they look for lower prices and more control via shorter contracts and the rights to divert or resell unwanted cargoes, for example.