Qatar, in an apparent bid to ascertain its position as the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), is looking to invest into the LNG facilities of Australia, the world's fourth-largest LNG exporter, in what could be seen as a merger of two LNG strongholds.

Abdulrahman Al-Shaibi, director of finance at Qatar Petroleum, believed Australia's LNG sector is a most appropriate ally to further Qatar's LNG business.

"We are exploring all geographical places that would really achieve our business objectives and Australia definitely is an important proposition where maybe we will be able to find good investment opportunities," Al-Shaibi said in Reuters News.

It is not clear, however, if Qatar Petroleum will work into investing into a new pipeline project in the Australian LNG sector, or just tap into expanding an existing facility.

Australian LNG projects typically come in with costs between $6 and $8 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), the Climate Spectator earlier reported.

Australia is expected to overtake Qatar as the world's top exporter of LNG by 2020, what with the slew of LNG projects currently being developed in the country to the tune of $180 billion. In the past 18 months alone, at least six have already started. All these projects will enable Australia to increase its LNG exports by four times over the present rate by the end of the decade.

Australia's liquefaction capacity forecast to China alone is seen to jack up five times from current levels to 100 million tonnes per annum (mta) by 2020, a testament to its competing streak to Qatar's position.

The LNG is a gas chilled to a liquid that can be transported over long distances by tanker rather just via pipeline. It is re-gasified on the receiving end and injected into existing transit pipeline systems for delivery to consumers.

Qatar was the first country to commit all of its production to the LNG trade, strongly believing LNG will become the wave of the future. It has earlier forecast its LNG output at 77 million tonnes annually until 2015.