Qatar's neighbours are trying to isolate it from the outside world by cutting off transport and diplomatic links. There's one major area where their ostracism campaign is falling short: energy. Qatar is the world's fourth-biggest energy supplier and wealthiest country by per capita income. It pumps more oil and gas than Rosneft or Exxon Mobil and is the biggest producer and seller of liquefied natural gas. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the sheikhdom of funding terrorism and maintaining overly cordial ties with regional rival Iran. The allegations, which Qatar denies, pit Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter and biggest supplier in Opec, against the group's smallest Arab producer. Now Qatar is doubling down on its main asset, the North Field, announcing plans to boost production at the world's largest offshore gas deposit. Located in the Persian Gulf, the field straddles Qatar's maritime border with Iran, which refers to its side of the reservoir as South Pars. Tripl...

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