The sale is expected to take place by the end of June, the sources told Reuters, as the Gulf's hydrocarbons giants seek to raise cash in the face of low energy prices and Qatar Petroleum plans to expand capacity.
Qatar Petroleum, one of the world's biggest suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has hired BofA Securities, Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JPMorgan and MUFG to lead the deal, the sources said.
It is expected to announce second-phase expansion plans this year, which will lift LNG capacity to 126 mtpa by 2027, and has been tying up sales contracts with several buyers in both the spot and long-term markets.
The contract, valued at more than $2 billion (including options), was awarded on a lump sum basis and is the second major onshore EPC contract award for the NFE project.
QP would still chiefly use long-term price contracts as it expands its production, spot volumes for trading would represent about 5-10% of volumes sold.
Asian LNG prices rocketed to record highs in January, outpacing gains in much of Europe and the United States where gas is abundant.
The contract - which covers major onshore engineering, procurement and construction - was signed with a joint venture between Chiyoda and Technip and is known as North Field East.
"The total cost of the project will be $28.7 billion, making it one of the industry's largest investments in the past few years and largest LNG capacity ever built," Kaabi said.