DOHA: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday officially inaugurated the world’s largest gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Wholly funded by Shell, the $18-19bn Pearl GTL Project is the world’s largest GTL plant and also the largest investment by Shell in a single location.
The event was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of the Emiri Diwan H E Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada and senior officials from the oil and gas industry.
The Duke of York Prince Andrew and other foreign dignitaries attended the grand function. A video documentary on Qatar’s history, its urban and industrial development and the success story of Pearl GTL was screened as part of the openinig ceremony.
The Emir toured the facilty and was briefed about various stages of the integrated project.
He also toured an exhibition by Pearl GTL and Shell at the venue depicting the stages of transfer of expertise and technology to the country that has made it the capital of gas-to-liquids industry in the world.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the ceremony, Al Sada pointed out that the Pearl Project is seen as one of the largest projects that could contribute to the diversification of Qatar’s economy from hydrocarbon sector.
Andy Brown, Executive Vice President of Shell and Managing Director at Pearl GTL, said the project has set many world records but the most important is the company’s safety record.
According to Pearl GTL study, the project’s safety performance broke all records for Qatar and Shell and set new industry benchmark by reaching 77 million hours without lost time injury for onshore project in 2010 with more than 50,000 workers at the site at the height of its construction.
When fully operational, Pearl will produce 140,000 barrels per day bpd of liquids in the form of a high quality distillate blendstock helping meet growing global hydrocarbon needs, in addition to 120,000 bpd of oil equivalent of natural gas liquids such as ethane, liquefied petroleum gas and condensates.
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