First Cargo of Pearl GTL Products Ship From Qatar
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
Qatar Petroleum and Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) (NYSE: RDS.B) today announced
that the Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant, located in Ras Laffan Industrial
City in the State of Qatar, has sold its first commercial shipment of
GTLGasoil.
The sale marks the start of production of GTL products when the State of
Qatar and Shell, the operator of the Pearl GTL plant, begin to receive
revenue from the project. Over the coming months, production will ramp up
from the first production unit ('train') of the Pearl GTL project. The
second train is expected to start up before the end of 2011. The plant is
expected to reach full production capacity by the middle of 2012 and is the
largest energy project ever launched in the State of Qatar.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110613/461346 )
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Qatar's Minister of
Energy and Industry said: 'The Pearl GTL project will play an important role
in further enhancing our diversification of the North Field gas utilisation
and will support the optimisation of Qatar's competitive position in the
world markets by supplying high quality GTL products. I wish the Qatar
Petroleum and Shell teams all the success in bringing this project into full
production safely and successfully.'
Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell said: 'Today's
milestone provides further evidence that innovative technology and strong
partnerships can help meet the world's growing need for energy. I would like
to thank Qatar Petroleum and the State of Qatar for their support
throughout, to make such a substantial project possible.'
Once fully operational, Pearl GTL is expected to produce 1.6 billion
cubic feet of gas per day from the North Field, which will be processed to
deliver an expected 120,000 barrels per day of condensate, LPG and ethane
and an expected 140,000 barrels per day of gas-to-liquids (GTL) products
using Shell's unique technological and project management capabilities.
Shell is the operator of the Pearl GTL plant developed under a
Development and Production Sharing Agreement with the Government of the
State of Qatar. The Pearl GTL project was launched in July 2006 and the
first stone was laid in February 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
Al-Thani, the Heir Apparent.
At the peak of construction at Pearl GTL, the project employed 52,000
workers. By the end of 2010, major construction was complete. On 23 March
2011, gas began flowing from wells 60 kilometres offshore. Then the gas
processing plant began producing condensate, LPG and sulphur and four of the
world's largest air separation units began producing oxygen. The GTL plant,
which employs Shell proprietary technology, was brought into production in
May and converts the gas and oxygen to GTL wax. In the last step of the
process, the waxes are cracked and distilled into finished GTL products.
Pearl GTL is expected to produce a number of high-quality GTL products
for sale in oil product markets around the world: GTL Kerosene for blending
into a clean burning aviation fuel; GTL Gasoil, a clean-burning diesel-type
automotive fuel; GTL Base Oils for premium lubricants; GTL Normal Paraffin
for detergents; and GTL Naphtha, a high-paraffin feedstock for the
petrochemical industry.
Pearl pictures (including aerial shot of Pearl GTL plant at Ras Laffan)
can be downloaded here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/royaldutchshell/5552175781/in/set-72157623792015947
Caption: Aerial view of the Pearl GTL plant in Ras Laffan, Qatar.
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