Offshore staff
DOHA, Qatar -- First dedicated offshore gas has reached the Pearl Gas To Liquids (GTL) complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.
Shell, which operates the Pearl GTL plant under a production sharing agreement with Qatar Petroleum, says sour gas is flowing through a subsea pipeline. Sections of the Pearl GTL plant will be brought on line progressively over the coming months.
The project was initiated in July 2006 and the first stone laid by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in February 2007.
Shell says this is Qatar’s biggest energy project to date in terms of total investments. It comprises two offshore platforms 60 km (37 mi) off the Qatar coast, connected by pipeline to the GTL facility, which Shell claims is the largest ever built.
Dr. Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Qatar's minister of Energy and Industry said: "This project will play an important role in further enhancing our diversification of the North field gas utilization and will support the optimization of Qatar’s competitive position in the world markets by supplying ultra clean GTL products.”
Once fully operational, Pearl will produce 1.6 bcf/d from the North field, processed to generate 120,000 b/d of condensate and natural gas liquids and 140,000 b/d of GTL products.
03/23/2011
