* Qatar prepares to issue tender for LNG expansion
* Existing partners expected to bid
* Newcomers Chevron, Equinor and Eni also eyeing role -sources
By Ron Bousso and Dmitry Zhdannikov
LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Qatar is preparing to issue atender for energy firms seeking a stake in its gas expansionproject, drawing interest from long-standing partners as well asnewcomers Chevron, Norway's Equinor and Italy's Eni, industrysources said.
Plans to expand Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG)facilities, already the world's largest, by more than a third inthe next five years are considered one of the most lucrativeinvestments in the rapidly growing global gas market.
Competition is expected to be fierce.
The huge interest underscores how successfully the smallGulf country positioned itself in the face of a boycott imposedin 2017 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain andEgypt, which accuse Doha of supporting terrorism and their enemyIran. Qatar denies the charge.
Qatar's state-run oil and gas company has in recent weeksheld talks with several foreign energy firms that want to helpbuild the new LNG facilities, four sources close to thediscussions said.
Qatar Petroleum (QP) is preparing to issue a tender seekingpartners to invest in the construction of a fourth LNG train, orproduction line, that will see its capacity grow to 110 milliontonnes a year (mtpa) from the current 78 mtpa.
The four companies that hold stakes in Qatar's existing LNGfacilities - Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell,France's Total and ConocoPhillips - are widelyexpected to bid, according to the sources.
Exxon, Shell, Total and Conoco declined to comment. Totaland Conoco have said in the past that they hope to play a rolein the expansion.
A number of newcomers are also set to join the race.
Officials from Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oilcompany, have held talks in Doha in recent weeks and areconsidering bidding for a stake in the expansion, the sourcessaid.
A Chevron spokeswoman declined to comment.
Norway's national oil company Equinor isconsidering submitting an offer as it seeks to expand its globalLNG operations, which have lagged those of rivals, sources closeto the company said.
An Equinor spokesman said: "We continue to assess businessdevelopment opportunities globally, but we don't have anycomments on specific regions."
Italy's Eni plans to play a role in the project,Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi recently said. Eni and QPbolstered ties in recent years after QP acquired from Eni stakesin three offshore blocks in Mexico.
One Chinese state-owned company is also in the process, thesources said.
Brazilian oil and gas company Petrobras considered biddingbut in recent weeks decided against it, the sources said.
Petrobras did not respond to a request for comment.
"Qatar's planned LNG expansion is one of the global standoutopportunities in 2019," consultancy WoodMackenzie said.
"Partner selection is ongoing, and we expect awards to bemade in advance of FID (final investment decision) in 2020 ...The upstream segment alone is a world-class asset and operatorswill struggle to find other low-cost opportunities of thisscale," it added.
"QP is unlikely to sole risk the development and will seekpartners. However, suitors will need to prove they can add valueto win a stake. We expect to see all the incumbents, primarilythe majors, jostling for position."
(Additional reporting by Stephen Jewkes in Milan, Bate Felix inParis, Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo, Gram Slattery in Sao Paulo;Editing by Dale Hudson)
